Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been battling snake mites for the last few days since I discovered them on what I thought was my wonderfully healthy ball python : ( I've taken everything out of the cage, I disinfected everything and I put paper towel in as the substrate so I can see any of the little bastards. I've been giving my baby baths in a diluted betadine/water solution. Then I use a cu-tip to get any remaining tips off and I put a little mineral oil over her nostrils. But despite my efforts every time I pick her up I see more of the little *@##@ on her!

This is my first time dealing with mites so I've been following this http://www.anapsid.org/mites.html

Should I just keep doing what I'm doing until they're gone or is there something else I should be doing?

This product works very well. Black Knight Mite Spray - formally BK-II. The Bean Farm carries it.

get provent-a-mite for the cage (do not use on the snake!) read directions carefully. you can use mite off for the snake, it's ok for diredt application to the snake. I HATE MITES! but this worked. Provent a mite is awesome...and no I don't represent the company that makes it.....LOL
-----
Jeff Davis
Royal Python 1.0

On the other hand, the Equate brand Bed lice spray is just as effective, and comes in a 5 oz can for about $4 from Walmart. Did you know the adult mite can travel 50 feet in one hour? Use the spray in the cage after the snake is removed. Spray inside AND outside the cage. Let dry for an hours, new substrate. Repeat in 6 weeks. Clean water and bowl.

I know I'm old school, but I've always used Nix lice shampoo! I would dilute it on a baby! Also heard Equate (Wal-Mart brand) bed spray works very well!

You can also get Hot Shot No Pest strips and cut just a small sliver off it...about a half inch off of the strip and tape it to the side/ceiling of the cage. It works. I like the sprays as well when cleaning the cages. If you have excess pest strip just hang it in your reptile room for more coverage outside of the cages. I've had no ill effects from its use and know others who have used it for years.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://pics.drugstore.com/prodimg/88409/200.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.drugstore.com/qxp88409_333181_sespider/hot_shot/no_pest_strip.htm&usg=__3m8SxjPpkTNNKCRBwrlA_r0xYSo=&h=200&w=200&sz=10&hl=en&start=2&tbnid=YAmc2GkJcmjmsM:&tbnh=104&tbnw=104&prev=/images?q=pest+strips&gbv=2&hl=en

Jason

I use the No-Pest strips religiously in my snake room. Just cut it up into slivers and place around the racks...I haven't seen a mite in over a year!

We received a rat rack that was FULL of mites. (I was upset!) I saw someone mention nix on here and did a search.

www.albertareptilesociety.org/caresheets/nix.pdf

This worked GREAT and its cheaper than anything else. Within days we had them completely cleared from the little crevices in the wood. They haven't been back! Just follow the above site step by step and they'll be gone!
-----
***Borderline Morphs***
Jennifer Mills & Daniel Haynes
Balls
1.4 Pastels
0.2 Cinnamons
1.0 Spider
1.0 100% het albino/100% het pied
0.3 100% het albino/50% het pied
1.1 Normals (1.0 unknown)
Boas
0.1 Normal
0.1 Pastel

Don't penny pinch with Mites.

1. Take all your reptiles and soak them down with Reptile Relief (leave them sit in it for 10-15 minutes). Rinse them off and then soak them in warm water. This will kill most of what is on them but you have to literally soak them down!

2. Buy two cans of Black Knight from Bean Farm - clean and disinfect all cages, use newspaper or paper towel substrate, spray with BK inside and out. Also spray down the carpets, racks, walls, etc. that you keep your reptiles in.

3. When dry put waterdishes and animals back in.

4. BK will last for months where some of the other treatments listed above wont - you'll end up having to retreat every time eggs hatch.

5. For the next few months every cage cleaning you'll have retreat the cage with BK as a precaution.

6. BK will kill all bugs within fume distance so if you have feeder insects or keep arachnids you'll have to temporarily rehome them until the fumes clear the area. You also can't use BK in cages where you'll be feeding live insects if you have lizards that take them.

Good luck.
-----
Tosha
JET Pythons
Toshas Blog

nihil facimus sed id bene facimus

Mites won't vanish in a few days, no matter what method is used. Soaking in luke warm water will drown any mites on the body of the snake (and if the snake is nice enough to submerge her head completely for a minute or two (they can hold their breaths a long time), that will take care of any mites on the head.

No Pest Strips and Nix I don't trust...though many people have used them without problems, there have been enough who lost snakes due to the higher concentrations of toxins in these products. (though the diluted Nix done exactly as described in a link provided, seems safe enough).

I definitely wouldn't recommend soaking any reptile in 'Reptile Relief'. That is not how it is to be used...and why waste all that product and the snake ingesting some of it when plain water will be just as effective in killing mites on the body of the snake.

Provent a Mite and Black KNight II are your best products to go for. Apply to cage and substrate, let dry, add snake and water back in...repeat after each wash and once a month...should only need to do this 2-3 months before mite problem is eliminated. If you had mites on your snakes for several weeks or more...it may take a bit longer to completely eradicate them.
-----
PHLdyPayne

Proventamite and the Walmart bel lice sprays use the same active ingrediant in the same dosage.