Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've got a boa that I keep in a wooden enclosure. I'm soaking her right now in some mineral oil because she got a case of mites. I used Sevin Dust in her cage and was thinking about letting it sit overnight before vacuuming it. Would it harm the boa to leave her in mineral oil (she's not bathing in it, just a quarter of an inch or so) overnight. Is this something you would advise against?

Thanks a bunch if you've got some help for me,

Marcus

I wouldn't do it. I've heard of snakes getting wierd scale problems after having mineral oil left on them for any period of time. It shouldn't be necessary to let the snake soak in the oil to get the mites off. A quick wipe and then being washed off should do it. Good luck. I'd be careful to remove all the sevin dust, too, it can cause neurological problems if I'm thinking of the right stuff.
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Eryx - All the fun of a boa in a convenient pocket size!

read up on the proper way to get rid of mites. VPI's site has excellent info also. The reptile community has come a long way since the old mineral oil treatment.

Well pardon me...it still works...my snakes are still healthy...at least I took the proactive approach and asked about it. In theory, it wasn't the worst possible idea...Experimentation is how half the herpers here found some brand of enlightenment.

You are correct and because of that you can now take advantage of that earlier experimentation and provide some healthier choices for your animals.

It has been pretty much proven that mineral oil treatments will, at the very least, subject your animals to a couple of months of bad sheds. Not to mention that is does nothing to interupt the life cycle of the mites.

Good luck with them.