Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I decided to get the burmese at the pet store, its an albino, about 2 feet 5 inches, they said they are feeding it live adult mice, they said i could try feeding it frozen but it porbably wouldnt work, they also said he was vicious. Ha. It also has 4 or 5 mites on it, im thinking now is the best time to get rid of them since he's in a new enclosure and all the ones in its old enclosure are gone, but i dont want these to breed anymore so whats the easiest way to get rid of them ( i dont have access to buying somekind of solution at a petstore, no car) so whats the best way to get rid of them quickly, and what about the ones in his nostril?

Just a word of caution: never buy from pet stores. Take the time to order from a reputable breeder or pick your guys up from a reputable breeder at a show. Also, I would not recommend feeding live. Get your snake feeding on frozen/thawed rodents. It might take a little effort to get your snake to eat them after being used to eating live, but it will be well worth your time. As for the mites, I recommend Black Knight insect spray. It is hard to come by, but it will get rid of mites immediately.

could you be more descriptive on the black knight pet spray, where to get it, how to use it?

Black Knight is an insecticide spray. It is the secret weapon for killing mites. It is not labeled or marketed as such, but trust me it works like a charm. You have to find someone who happens to sell this stuff. I just happened to run across it by accident. A while back there was someone selling it on the cages and supplies classifieds. It is expensive but worth it.

Spray this stuff directly on the snake. It says not to on the label, but this is only to cover their butts for the indications on the label. I have used this on a several monocle cobras and gaboon vipers that had mites and it worked perfectly with no ill effects. I know a number of people who do the same with the same results.

Here's a pic of a can i have.
I had a snake that was sent to me and had mites. I used this one time and never had the problem again..

So i spray it on the snake, and leave it on him and then just put him back in the cage? He wont lick it off or anything? And should i wash it off him the next day? And what about the mites near his mouth and in his nostrils?

The easiest way to buy Black Knight spray is through the classifieds here on kingsnake (check caging/housing classifieds). Pro Exotics also sells it. You probably won't be able to find it locally. For information on how to use it check the VPI web site under "the war on mites". This will also give you some of the alternative treatments if you can't get Black Knight.
http://www.vpi.com/
How big are the mites on your snake? Mites are really small and can be hard to see (even on an albino snake). As far as the treatment- you can't just treat the snake, you have to treat the enclosure (and anything else near the snake) too. Anything coming from the pet store you bought the snake from may also carry mites. Until you get the mites eliminated you'll want to keep the cage very simple to maintain- water bowl, something plastic or non porus for a hide box, paper for substrate- because you'll be cleaning it often! Mites will hide and breed in the cage otherwise and keep infesting your snake. You may also want to soak your snake in warm water (80-85 degrees) to relieve some of the irritation caused by the mites under the scales. It will also drown some of the mites.
Good luck- mites suck! I recently went through this myself and Black Knight did the trick.
Lora

I believe the correct way to use black knight is to take the snake out, spray down the cage, let it aerate and then put the snake back in. I've only had mites for a couple days and quickly got rid of them, so I have never had to use this.

None the less I am sure there are directions on the can that would tell you how to use it.

You can also buy a raid strip from your local hardware store to help keep them away when they're gone.

>>So i spray it on the snake, and leave it on him and then just put him back in the cage? He wont lick it off or anything? And should i wash it off him the next day? And what about the mites near his mouth and in his nostrils?
-----
- Joel Smith

"If you're not part of the solution, you're still part of the problem"

I agree with Joel that the Black Knight is primarily for treating the enclosures- however you can very lightly spray the snake if the mites are really bad. You don't need to wash them off afterwards. The snake won't lick it off their body anymore so than off the enclosure and substrate. Some types of snakes seem to be more sensitive to the spray than others, so better safe than sorry. Also it's not recommended to spray snakes that are in active shed cycle. You can still treat the enclosure (with the water bowl removed!) and that's what will prevent reinfestation.
Lora

Actually this product is quite safe to spray DIRECTLY on your animals. I would not spray heavily on the snakes head. I as well as MANY others have used Black Knight this way with GREAT success. I have kept hundreds of reptile species for over 20 years. I think I know what I am talking about by now.

thanks,

TW

I never said it wasn't safe to spray directly on the animal, I was just telling him the main way to treat mite infestation. It's just more of a risk than I am willing to take on my snakes, unless obviously needed.

Sorry to get your panties in a wad, god of mites.

>>Actually this product is quite safe to spray DIRECTLY on your animals. I would not spray heavily on the snakes head. I as well as MANY others have used Black Knight this way with GREAT success. I have kept hundreds of reptile species for over 20 years. I think I know what I am talking about by now.
>>
>>thanks,
>>
>>TW
-----
- Joel Smith

"If you're not part of the solution, you're still part of the problem"

n/p

HAIL to the God Of Mites! I hate the little bastards.

>>n/p
-----
Thomas Jones
aligatorhunter@earthlink.net
(252) 757-3879

My Wife Ran Off With My Best Friend, I Sure Do Miss HIM!!!

Well I've used like a bunch of powders and sprays. I've taken my snake to the vet when she had mites, and he put frontline spray on her. He lightly sprayed it on his hands and applied it onto the body and lightly on the head. Frontline is usually used for dogs and cats, but it is a very affective flea and tick medicine. that is water proof and is good for 4 weeks per application.

I've also used the Black Knight spray. I suggest empty out your cage if you are going to use this stuff. Spray it all it's frame, edges of the walls, vent openings and door sills too. You can also apply generously in the cage too, but not too much, cuz it is still a toxic type product.

Allow atleast 20 minutes for your cage to air out before putting your snake back in. and 24 hours before you put your water bowl back in.

When I applied it on my burmese I would hold the head in my palm, not to get any on the head directly. I sprayed the back, flipped her over gently, sprayed her underbelly, still holding her head in my palm to protect the fact. Then to get it on the head, I sprayed a bit on my fingers, and lightly rubbed it on her head and below her mouth.

I also heard soaking your snake helps. I'm no so sure. But it doesn't hurt to try. I would suggest that if you do more than one of these methods, I would suggest soaking before applying the medicines or bug spray. To not removed or wash off the bug spray if soaked.

Good Luck. Another thing I do say to look out for. You might get a few bad sheds or not very responsive to eating cuz of the mites. Just be patient and everything will finally be back to normal after you get this done.

I hope that helps.

Richard

So using frontline, and having it stay on for 4 weeks isnt bad? If i use frontline, should i put any on the cage?

just try something. See what works. I don't think putting frontline in the cage will help. It is for the animal.

If you are really THAT concerned on the proper procedure to do anything or what exactly to use. Consult a vet.

Richard