Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have noticed within the last few days that all 6 of my sulcatas have mites on them. They don't seem to be bothering them and there aren't many of them but they are there. I was just wondering if anyone else has had this problem? All of the mite sprays that Ive found say that I need to spay the tortoises and disinfect the entire enclosure, the problem is that they live in a large outdoor enclosure. Any advice?

Anybody? I can't really find any info about turtles with mites anywhere. Ive tried the some reptile mite remover stuff I got a the local pet store 3 times now, once every three days and the mites just keep coming back. Theres no way I can disinfect there entire outdoor enclosure and Ive looked through th bedding where they sleep and there aren't any mites in it. Anybody have any ideas?

What bedding are you using?

You may have to move these guys inside or inside your garage for a few days/weeks and disinfect the WHOLE enclosure. Pain in the rear I know but you may have to take those necessary steps.
I've never dealt with mites but I remember growing up with lice and ticks from our dogs--once we comepletly disinfected EVERYTHING from inside/outside we were lice/tick free for life.

Their bedding/feed inside their 8x10 shed is coastal(Bermuda)Hay. Outside the shed its just normal ground, dirt and grass. I did look through a lot of the bedding in the shed and I can't find any mites on it, only on the turtles themselves.

Bummer, I don't know what to suggest--i've never had that problem myself. Have you notice anything in their droppings? Bugs? Worms?
I would maybe put a phone call into your local reptile vet and ask them--just make sure they are familiar with reptiles/torts.
And I would love to hear their suggestions in case I encounter this problem myself.

There was never anything in their droppings, no markings on them, nothing to indicate that they were having any problems at all other than the fact that I could see the mites on them.

I do have some good news though, somehow, the mites seem to of disappeared. Ive checked them the last 2 days in a row and I can't find any signs of mites on any of them. I really don't know how to explain it, maybe they weren't actually reptile mites, I guess its possible that they got infected with some other mites that were just living on them and not actually biting them and they just moved on. Ive spent a lot of time scanning their shells and faces looking for mites and as far as I can tell they are gone.

Ahhhh good to hear!!

I've had quite a bit of experience eliminating mites, on all types of reptiles. If your tortoise had mites on him, they were not mites that should have been feeding on mammals, they were the type that feed on reptiles. Mites don't make mistakes on what they feed on.

There are several ways to eliminate them, some are quick and reletively dangerous to your tortoise, some are not dangerous and can take a lot of time to eliminate. Over the counter sprays usually do not work at all, except Provent-A-Mite which is rather expensive somewhat toxic, and not a guaranteed solution.

Whatever you do you will need to quarantine them in an area that they will stay while being treated. An outdoor pen will not do, as the mites will just climb off, then return as soon as the coast is clear.

The best success that I have had uses the following treatment.

1) Quarantine the animal into an indoor cage that has been cleaned with bleach and water. Bake any substrate in the oven as well. Make sure that the area is brightly lit. Mites hate the light. It also helps if the actual area can be lined with cardboard. I would use a plastic container and line it with cardboard.

2) Apply olive oil to the animal with a paintbrush or cotton pad..etc.. The oil will "climb" and completely drown the mites. Water will not work. This has never harmed any of my animals.If you use a white cotton pad, you will actually lift most of them off as you apply the oil. Any mites that are left behind will loosen and climb off of the animal as the oil is toxic to them. Those that climb off will bore into the cardboard which you should throw away every 8-12 hours.

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OPTIONAL AND CAN BE DANGEROUS TO YOU AND YOUR TORTOISES!!!

3) THIS CAN BE HAZARDOUS IF NOT PERFORMED PROPERLY. Buy a few "No-Pest-Strips" at the local hardware store. Cut one in half and place it in a coffee can, or hang it out of reach of the tortoise. Leave this near the quarantined cage/pen for no longer than 6-8 hours. Remove the strip after that time period far from the tortoise. If kept around it will cause kidney damage. Also during the quarantine period hang a few of the strips in the outdoor pen and try to cover the pen with a tarp. The key is to try and seal the area off. DO NOT LEAVE TORTOISES IN THE OUTDOOR PEN IF YOU HANG STRIPS AND COVER THE PEN WITH A TARP, IT WILL PROBABLY KILL THEM.
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4) Bleech any rocks or decorations that are in the outdoor pen. The mites will lay eggs which will hatch, usually 7-10 days, but can be much longer. I will usually fill a bucket with water and bleech and let the rocks, etc.. soak for several days.

5) The day after applying the oil try and wash the tortoise down with some soap and water. This usually eliminates all of the mites and any eggs.. If you do notice more, repeat the oil and soap and water. Wait at least a week or two before using any more pest strips.

I've noticed posts here that mention little "mite" looking insects crawling around in cages especially those that use Cypress mulch for bedding. I keep a 1/4 piece of a No-Pest-Strip hanging in my garage for a few days to a week at a time off and on which eliminates those little bugs along with most other insects. I have never lost any reptiles large or small since using these strips, and I have not seen any mites on my collection either.

Hope this helps, and post if you have any questions before treating your tortoises.

-Kory

Thanks for the info but as far as I can tell they are still gone. Its been over 2 weeks and I still check them every day or two but I haven't found any. I have no idea how to explain them suddenly disappearing like that.

That's good to hear! They probably weren't mites which is a really good thing. Mites can be very unhealthy to both you and your tortoise, I'm sure that you are aware of that. Keep an eye on them, and be sure to treat ASAP if they do show up.

-Kory