Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Freaking MITES!!! made it through last year with no problems. I just found them on my albinos and I'm going to war!!!! I been here before and know the routine. Anyone got any tips/tricks to share in dealing with the tiny scourge????

It's no fun. We use Provent A Mite and it makes eradicating mites a piece of cake.

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center

>>Freaking MITES!!! made it through last year with no problems. I just found them on my albinos and I'm going to war!!!! I been here before and know the routine. Anyone got any tips/tricks to share in dealing with the tiny scourge????
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

I've heard good things about Prevent-A-Mite.

I bought a snake that already had mites, I bought a gallon of distilled water, and mixed in a bottle of NIX headlice shampoo with it.

Sprayed it all over the cage, let it air dry. Sprayed it all over the snake. Sprayed him every 3 days for 2 weeks (until I didnt see anymore).

It worked, but there's probably better ways to go about it.

>>Freaking MITES!!! made it through last year with no problems. I just found them on my albinos and I'm going to war!!!! I been here before and know the routine. Anyone got any tips/tricks to share in dealing with the tiny scourge????

Oh how I love this. I get nailed once or twice a year.

My first step is to bag everyone in white bags that were treated with provent-a-mite (PAM). They remain IN THE BAGS for 24 hours, they are removed and inspected for mites. Then everyone is separated. Infected and uninfected. During this 24 hour period every cage is bleached, cleaned, taken to bare bones (water bowl and thats it) and treated twice with PAM. A separate room is set up with rubbermaids for infected. Rubbermaids are treated twice with PAM. Animals are set up in proper rooms. Infected animals are sprayed down completely with Reptile Relief daily for 7 days.

After 7 days everyone is rebagged in white bags that have been treated and the same process is repeated. During this time, non-infected snakes are treated with Reptile Relief mid week around day 3.

This has worked for every out break I have. I do quarentine, but no matter what, I always get an outbreak or two having the rescue animals. For some reason, pythons tend to get mites faster than any other species with Burmese showing the worst infestations. The joy is having albinos, because they give you a TON of advance warning. Mites stand out there FAST before they have really spread.
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Cindy
PHFaust

Email Cindy

Land of the Outcasts!

After speaking to Bob (it is Bob, isn't it) at Pro Products/Provent-a-Mite, here's what I do. You'll notice that everyone has a slightly different method.

I get a big rubbermaid and soak the snake in water with a drop or two of dish detergent. The soap breaks the surface tension and aids in drowning the mites.

Meanwhile, I take all of the substrate and furniture out of the cage. I clean the cage, and spray it thoroughly with PAM. I also spray the outside edge of the container, any stand, and a 2ft area of carpet or floor around the enclosure (mites travel). I also spray PAM on a paper towel and wipe a 2" barrier around the outside of the top of any other enclosures I have to prevent any other infestations.

I use newspaper as substrate and spray both sides of the paper with PAM. Every time I change the paper I spray it...for a couple of weeks.

I don't put the snake in the enclosure until the PAM is dried, I follow the directions carefully, and I disinfect all the water bowls, furnishings, etc. I don't care to use fly strips, lice shampoo, or any other pesticides for fear of poisoning. Also, hognose snakes are very sensitive to PAM and other chemicals, so be careful if you own these specimens. I tried Reptile Relief, but didn't have much success with it.