Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Guys i got Mites on my Bearded Dragon and I fear it is going to spred to my young dragons. Any sugestions on what to do and how to get rid of them Quick. Any advice is greatly appriciated. Thanks gain talk to you all later.

Eric/Ginger/Draco/Angle

There are several treatment options, natural and chemical, you should discuss these with your vet and what he/she suggest depending on the degree of infestation or type.

1. Submerging a reptile in warm water and leaving it there for 30 minutes will kill most the mites and give the animal a lot of relief and I would start off with that. Of course you will need to totally clean out tanks and substrate also. This will not get rid of all of them however and you may need to repeat it daily with the tank cleanings also. The ones on the head or under scales in air pockets will survive this.

2. Another method is covering the animal with olive oil, sweet oil or baby oil, this way you can treat the head, leave on for a hour and either soak it off or the reptiles skin/scales will absord it, but you may have to repeat this a few times, again as some my hide under scales in air pockets and also you need to clean the enclosure, replacing substrate

3. The other method is chemicals and you need to talk to your vet about that. DO not use Ivermectin, Diazinin or a DDT product and we cautious of eyes and inhalation by you and the animal.

4. Last known method to me is a no pest strips in the cage (but NOT were the beardie can reach them) I am not real keen on this as no one has yet to convince me the beardie may not be breathing in the same toxins and being effected somehow.

Good luck, they are not that dangerous, but very pesty!

How exactly do they get the mites? From basking outside, other animals in the household, etc? Just curious. I havent ever had a mite problem, thank god, but was wondering so that I can continue to prevent it! Thanks a bunch, Lindsay

Another pesty little creature is ants! arghghgghg, still having a problem with them.
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BC Dragons

We believe that we got it from the log that we got for thier cage. We did not treat the wood and thats where I think they have come we just need to go threw and treat the wood. "2hours and 300 Degrees will kill most anything and completly dry the wood" But yes you can get them from our side check I first noticed mine on the bottom eye lid and I am sure that cant be to comfortable. Hope this healps good luck with you antfarm. cya

ERic

and if they move animals around in tanks and substrate (which many do)they spread like fires.

Another person thought they came for the grains substrate they used and it is possible for them in infest grains and boxed pasta.

In Floirda the most common place they come from is the spanish moss that hangs in many trees, it or they can fall to the ground or cages set up outside. Also birds can have them and spread them outside. Since it is so hot here, we often use to keep rabbits, hamsters etc in cages outside under trees and always had to be watching for mites.

You can drown them in water, but their favorite place to hide is in the folds of the eyes so it is hard to get them all with one dunking and of course, you can not dunk the whole aninmal under water or several minutes.... but repeated several times will usually knock them out.