Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey Brandon,

I read an earlier thread in regards to Equate brand "Bedding Spray" that could be located at Wal-Mart. What section of the store was it in? I checked the pet section as well as the insecticide section...nada.

Also, what are the forum's opinions about small sections of "No Pest Strip"? I have a small mite situation - one tht can be directly traced back to an aquisition from a "reputable" breeder. I vacumed out all the substrate and was thinking about the old days when we'd put a small (2"x2" piece in the cage for a couple of hours (with the snake removed of course) then wash the cage well (Visions) before putting the snake back in.

Any thoughts/concerns.

Bill

I'm not Brandon but I had trouble finding it as well. It's in the pharmacy section. Also, I've had success with the pest strips but I don't think they do much to prevent the mite eggs from hatching.

Thanks for the response! I'll look again. I did remove all bark substrate and have them on paper towels. I soaked the grape wood "furniture" in the pool for two hours as well in the hopes of drowning and stowaways.

Bill

The one and only time I ever had mites I used a pest strip. This was on a borneo short tail python and it was the only snake in my collection. It is true that the pest strips do nothing for the eggs, but the point of the pest strips is to leave them in the cage for the duration of the life cycle of mites. I cant say if it did any permanent damage to the snake since I gave the snake away about a year later. If you do decide to use them, just know there can be severe problems that arise from its use. The best way to put the pest strips in the cage is to use 35mm film containers. Drill some holes in the container, and put small pieces of the strips inside. Put a couple of these inside the cage depending on the size, and leave them in there for the life cycle of the mite, which if i remember right, leave it in there for a month and it will kill all the eggs that hatch before they can lay new eggs. Just remember what the consequences of using such a product can be, and that I am not recommending you use this product.
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Mike Bair
Chondro Dreams

Hi, I think the stuff Brandon has talked about is used to actually treat head lice in humans. I believe it has the same composition as Provent-a-Mite. I have used Provent-a-mite several times on new acquisitions and it works great. It remains active in the cage for a month or so, so it kills the mites after they hatch. I have also used no pest strips years ago. The no pest strips work, but in a small percentage of animals it can cause neuralogical problems. I would definately use the spray over the no pest strip.

As for the mites, their life cycle is about 30 days and they lay there eggs in crevices around the cage, especially in wood. The problem with treating for mites is that you can kill the adults, but the eggs are nearly impossible to kill. Normally what happens is you treat the animal, kill the adult mites, and then a week or two later, eggs hatch and mites reappear. This happens even after you have thoroughly cleaned the cage and cage furniture. I would recommend discarding any wood perches that have been exposed to the mites in the cage. I would work under the assumption that by the time you can see the mites they have already laid the eggs somewhere in the cage.

I hope this helps, Nate Kovacs.