Sorry to hear about the mites, the Provent-a-mite should be all that you need. I don't recommend soaking snakes in soapy water because I believe that soap can dry their skin out.



I recommend feeding it inside its regular cage. I believe that there's more of a chance for a feeding response strike from a snake that has just been fed than there is from one that has yet to be fed.



"artinscales" has the right idea, as far as I'm concerned. Hook train it, don't feed with bare hands, feed inside their cage.



By using a hook to rub the snake's head & body, you're making sure its awake and letting it know that you are about to handle it, not feed it. The hook doesn't have to be big, strong, enough to lift the snake, just something long enough to keep hands out of reach (3ft or so).



My adult burms are about 9ft & 11ft. This is how I feed them:



1. Handle before feeding.

Both of my cages open at the top. When it's time to feed I open the top and most of the time my burms crawl out to me. Once their heads are about a foot or so out of the cage and have already made contact with my hand or arm, and I'm sure they know what's going on, I can safely reach in and pull them the rest of the way out.



I handle them for several minutes, sometimes letting them crawl around the room or outside for exercise. After several minutes I put them back into their cage for feeding time.



2. Feeding

I've got cheap "grabbers" like the ones sold for elderly/handicapped people to pick things up with. I use these to place rodents in their cage. If the snake won't eat F/T off the floor and needs to be enticed you can grab the rodent and stimulate movement, but most snakes eating F/T will eat rodents left on the floor. Sometimes it will take them a little longer to become interested in it but they usually do.



I'm ashamed to admit it but there are times when the only time I handle them is just before feeding. I've had these snakes since they were babies (3yrs old now) and have never had the slightest resemblance of of a strike or bite, feeding response or not.



Regardless of how your snake has been fed in the past, I believe that you can train it, condition it, to do the same thing mine do. Of course, as always, when handling a snake, especially one that size, your ability to read it, understand its actions, should be at a high level. And never handle or feed it alone.



Have a good one!

HH
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,

this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:

Appalachian American

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