Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Why doesn't someone invent a pre-treated (Provent-A-Mite) bedding for reptiles?

Chris =/
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"Wild balls suck...period...buy American." --jyohe

I thought the title referred to the signature line at the end of your post.

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why are you quoting me?...........because I am correct I hope.....

JY
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It's a funny quote. Props for Chris!

Maybe they don't make that product because of the chemicals? I think you're supposed to take the animal out of set-up before applying the Provent-A-Mite...then let it air out? Having the chemicals in at all times might be...bad. I don't exactly know though, I've never had a problem with mites! I DO keep a bottle ready just in case though...

Good idea!

Ryan

I thought the same thing after my brief encounter with the mighty mite. But I think the stuff only has a shelf life of about two weeks, so it wouldn't keep very well, but you'd think there would be a way!

By the way - thank you for not using that neck snap quote from a few weeks ago - I like the one you currently use much better!
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Tosha

8.10.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and currently un-named)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Dessert Tortoise (Pope)
7.9.5 Fish (1,2,3,4...)
0.0.1 Frog rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.2 Lizards rescued from pool skimmer

But I absolutely love that quote! It's so delightfully sadistic. =)

Chris =)
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"Wild balls suck...period...buy American." --jyohe

Do you think it is necessary?

I would only treat cages that have animals with mites.
Personally, I haven't had mites in over 3 years since I quarantine new animals and treat them as necessary.

Are you worried about mites being in the bedding you purchase?
If so, bake your bedding in an oven for 15 minutes at 350 F. Its a lot cheaper and more environmentally and animal freindly than using chemicals. Also, I don't think PAM can really protect your snakes from mites for a long period of time, it wears off quickly from what I have heard.

Well that is what I think anyway...what are other peoples opinions...why do people treat all of their bedding with PAM? I never really understood that.

>>Do you think it is necessary?

Once you have an outbreak you need to keep treating for months, if you have a bunch of snakes it would definately be worth it to not have to keep treating the bedding at every change!

Yes the quarantine and pretreat always helps but what if you pick one up while at petmart or a show or someone elses house, it's just a matter of time before you've got an infestation. Then you'll be wanting the pretreated bedding!
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Tosha

8.10.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and currently un-named)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Dessert Tortoise (Pope)
7.9.5 Fish (1,2,3,4...)
0.0.1 Frog rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.2 Lizards rescued from pool skimmer

I concur on quarantine 100%.

However, if you don't have a ton of animals coming in and out of your home, don't buy from substandard sellers, aren't willing to risk exposure for a better deal, don't buy from people that don't guarantee health and disease free animals, then there really is no reason to worry about infestation. Or mites for that matter that the quarantine wouldn't take care of.

So in a nutshell, no reason for mite resistant substrate if the people you buy from have A animals.

Naturally just our opinion.

Jeff & Starr
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But, I go to reptiles shows all the time, pets stores religously and have a fairly large collection of BPs and yet it has been three years since I have had any mite infestation.

A few simple rules, like quaratine of new animals and never handling your animals directly after going to a reptile show seem to keep the problem at bay.

However, if you need to keep using P-A-M for months to get rid of mites I would never use it anyway. Ivermectin spray works in 2-3 treatments once per week and you can spray it directly on animals, cages, water bowls, whatever. Its pretty easy, instead of spraying with water, you spray with the dilute solution of ivermectin and ...2-3 weeks later you will never see another mite...until you bring in the next batch. I spray down all new animals during quarantine, it might be a little bit more expensive, but well worth it. I definitely wouldn't want to be exposing myself and my animals to pesticides for months at a time...yikes.

From what I have read the effects of Permethrin will last longer than a couple weeks but it is still not indefinite. It apparently is a popular pesticide that campers use to ward off biting insects by treating clothes, tents, sleeping bags, etc and sealed can last for a month or two (maybe longer depending on the article)... Again just what I have read...

On the subject of Prevent a Mite; what am I missing here? There are so many products out there with the exact same percentage of Permethrin at a third the price!!! The easiest to get a hold of is Nix aerosol spray used for lice. It has the same .50% of Permethrin so what's the difference. Permethrin is the only active ingredient so there shouldn't be any difference in it's effectiveness. Right??? Just because it's the only product marketed toward herps doesn't mean it is any better than the rest.

Sorry I just don't like to see people getting ripped off...

Anyway here is a link with some other products you can purchase with the same concentration of Permethrin for a lot less:

http://www.permethrin-repellent.com/products.htm

George Knaack
GLK HERP

From what the makers of P-A-M claim, it is the inactive ingredients in other sprays that are harmful. Can't speak from experience, the one time I had mites I used Ivermectin spray as advised from a DVM and two treatments cured the problem indefinitely.