Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My oldest Ball Python died last night, she was about 15 years old... She had seemed fine as far as I knew, but was definitely gone this morning (stinky & rigor had set in).

I have two younger Ball Pythons left & need to clean & sterilize the large cage that the deceased snake shared (divider between the two) with the male snake. I've relocated the male snake to a temporary cage for observation (in case there was an unknown illness). Any suggestions on what to use for this deep cleaning?

Regular household bleach and water solution is your cheapest and easiest method of really cleaning the cage. The ratio of bleach to water can be 1 to 10 by volume. That should be strong enough for anything.

Pet stores sell a reptile-friendly cleaner that will even kill many viruses.

I order chlorohexadine (Nolvasan) from the Bean Farm. It comes in a concentrate, and I add a little of that to water in a regular pump sprayer. Works really well. I can wash a cage with soap and water and still smell a bit of urates. But after using Nolvasan, the smell is gone. I spray it all over the cage and let it sit for a good 15 minutes or more, then wipe off. Or let it dry in there if you want. Cage will be cleaner than you can imagine with virtually no odor at all. I paid around $35 for the stuff, and it has lasted over a year. In fact, I still have enough for the next 6 months or so. I use it on my dogs' bowls and doggy urine spots outside. Eliminates the smell.