Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I realize the best treatment is prevention, but if you discover mites on a venomous snake, how do you guys treat it?

Frontline spray works very well. Don't just spray it on the snake, you need to spray it on a cloth(until damp) and rub the snake down with it. Of course observe all other mite treatment protocols such as no particulate substrate(ie paper towels), cleaning and disinfecting the cage after each treatment, quarantine ect. The only difference between treating a venomous snake and an animal like a Lampropeltisis the safety issue. The safest way to do this it to tube the snake and rub it down with the cloth over most of the body. It is better to pin the head so you can treat the entire snake(a lot of mites will probably be under the jaw and around the face area) but it is MUCH riskier. If you are not comfortable doing this you should seek out an experienced venomous keeper or veterinarian to help you(caution: most vets dont have a clue about treating a corn snake for blister disease, let along knowing how to properly handle and restrain a venomous snake). Don't forget that this is an arduous and time consuming process that could take weeks to resolve, mainly because most sprays, even Frontline, do not kill all stages of the mite cycle and mites can fit into the smallest cracks and crevices imaginable. That being said, you can still knock out the infestation if you are diligent enough. Good luck and please be careful not to get bitten. Any questions feel free to contact me.
Will
(919) 749-2124
1.1 Bitis gabonica rhinocerous
1.1 Bitis nasicornis
1.1 Crotalus lepidus klauberi
1.1 Lampropeltis triangulum hondurensis
2.1 Elaphe mandarina
1.1 Testudo horsfieldi
1.0 Cyclura cornuta
0.1 Corucia zebrata
1.0 Macroclemmys temminckii

Thank you so much for the help. Judging by your phone number, we don't live terribly far apart. I'm in the Greensboro area.

I was in Greensboro till a few years ago. Now I'm outside Charlotte.

By the way, I'm having a worm problem right now. Anybody know a site to help me identify what kind so I can treat them. None of the vets around here will mess with hots

How far outside Charlotte? Who do you take your hots to in case a vet is needed? None I know will touch reptiles esp hots!
-----
hanging out under heat lights burns up my brain cells!!

For a more long term solution you can use Nix lice bedding spray from HEB, just take everything out of the cage, spray it evenly then let it dry for 30 minutes before replacing the substrate, water bowl, and snake. It kills all stages of snake mites and last for awhile. I started using it and havent seen a mite in 2 months and I had a couple of snakes with a severe infestation that I picked up at a local pet store. Hope this helps.
-----
Dustin Smith

I have had pretty good results with Provent-A-Mite with my collection. I had no problems with my copperheads and cantils.

Having said that, my red Pygmies went in the crapper. One died within a week, and the other lay in a semi-coma for about a month before it died. They were the only snakes out of 55 that had an adverse reaction. No idea why.

Nix has the same ingredient as provent a mite but at a quarter of the cost
-----
Dustin Smith

I've used NIX to treat bushmasters with great success. I dilute a 2oz bottle of NIX in 1qt of water and spray everything, including the snake, except directly on the head.

The only drawback is that NIX will dry the skin out and cause premature dysecdysis, so you need to make sure the snake is well hydrated and mist the cages (at least with bushmasters). I'd guess that with snakes from arid climates, such as southwestern rattlesnakes or desert vipers, this wouldn't be an issue.

MH