mites on a hatchling cali kingsnake :(

[arcus]

Ok, this last Saturday the 17th I purchased a just hatched California Kingsnake from a local breeder. He told me i could have my pick of the litter but to hurry because a wholesaler was coming to purchase all of them in a few days. I narrowed it down to 4-5 fairly quickly and chose one that seemed to be the most interested in me.

I have had an empty 40 gallon aquarium with a screen lid, an unopened bag aspen shavings, ceramic water bowl, ceramic hide(cave) 100w red heat lamp, and a nice dry piece of driftwood to climb on. All of this has been in my closet for over a year as I planned on getting a baby king but couldn't find one for such a long time.

I gave everything a good dusting-cleaning and set everything up in preparation for the little guy, 90f on the warm side 75f on the cool side. Put him in, watched him explore for a min, then he went strait to the cave.

Next day after work I went to check on him and spotted a lone mite on his head, I quickly started googling, researching, and my heart sank, He is so young and the last thing I wanted to do was stress him so early but it had to be done.

I drew a bath of lukewarm water in a tupperware bowl and let his head rest on my finger while he soaked, he was suprisingly cooperative. after a few minutes it was clear me that the poor thing was infested with mites! =( I could see them in the water.

I examined him gently and could see he had them around his eyes, lodged under the scales near his head, poor guy. I rinsed all of them off him I could and put him in a new clean container with a paper towel and small cup of water.

Everything in his aquarium that could go in the oven went in at 200f for 3 hours, substrate went in a bag and to the dumpster outside, aquarium in the bathtub for a thorough cleaning with 1/10 bleach solution, super rinse, then rubbing alcohol and dried. I was up till 3am cleaning, vacuuming, even washed my sheets and comforter as his cage is in my room....

Went to work on 2 hours of rest and rushed home, gave him another soaking, rinse. Called the breeder, who says the mites weren't from him, and I asked if he had "Provent-a-Mite" as extensive googling showed this to be the best thing to eliminate the pests from the enclosure.He had 1 can left so i raced over to get it.

Put paper towels in for substrate, followed directions on can, let dry, and put poor little snakey back in, with just a dish of fresh water, no frills. The next day i gave him another bath-rinse, no loose mites but there are still many around his eyes! =(

I feel so bad putting all this stress on a newborn snake and he probably hates me. He also looks like he is going to shed soon, dull scales, cloudy eyes(after a week of life?) The enclosure seems mite free with the "Provent-a-Mite" but he still has them on lodged on him, how do I get them out of his eyes? =( and I'm afraid to use any treatment on him besides drowning the mites. I don't want to use chems on a snake that sits in the palm of my hand.

Please, if anyone has experience with treating such a young snake for these little bastards mites please help me. I'm afraid the stress of all of this is going to kill him or the mites will. I've already bonded with the little guy so much and he MUST live! and be happy and healthy! =(

[EL Ziggy]

I feel for you arcus. I've never had an issue with mites so I can't offer and advice but it sounds to me like youve done all the right things so far. I'm sure the more experienced members will chime in shortly. Good luck with a quick resolution. Keep us posted.

[arcus]

I've been scouring the internet all night, one article said to use olive oil on face and eyes, then the next said to keep it out off face and eyes.. I put a small hide in so he would feel safe, i keep peeking in on him every hour or so. He doesn't seem to have much energy and just kind of looks up at me a little when i check on him. =( i'm looking for a vet in my area that specializes repts in my area, but i don't know if he would get as much care and attention as i am giving, and i don't want one that may hurt more than help. Man guys, this really sucks. He is so tiny and fragile.. what can i do?

[TheZoo]

Im not sure but I just wanna say im sorry for this I feel like the breeder was lying if he was that infested...but anyways hopefully someone else will chime in.

[Stewjoe]

A responsible breeder wouldn't have sold a week old snake. I wouldn't trust them for a second that the mites weren't from them. Sounds like you did all the right things to respond to the situation though.

[arcus]

yeah, I know the mites came with him, i just didn't see them when i bought him. They are really small, almost need direct sunlight to see them.

I just got finished cleaning around his eyes, and i can't see any more on him.

Hopefully things have leveled out and will he will be on the upswing. I'll let you guys know more as thing go along.

[sharthun]

Good job! Keep us posted. ;)

[SSSSnakes]

Give the Prevent-A-Mite time to work. The mites breed in the enclosure and not on the snake. The Prevent-A-Mite will remove the mites from the snake and the enclosure and last long enough to kill the eggs that may hatch. Once the snake sheds, remove the shed immediately as any mites on him will be removed with the shed. I would put him in a smaller enclosure for now, as it will be easier to get rid of the mites. Make sure you spray the bedding really well and let it dry completely before you put the snake and the water bowl back in the enclosure. I use Prevent-A-Mite and it has worked for me every time.

[SKYlord]

I think you are supposed to wait 24 hours before putting water back in.

[arcus]

Thanks guys. The directions said to replace reptile and water after vapor dissipated and completely dry.

I don't want to freak anyone out so if you don't want to be freaked out stop here. Stop!
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Ok, I had to to do something about the mites around his eyes, after just a couple days of feeding they gorged themselves to point where they scales around his eyes were kind of lifted away from is eye scale, it almost looked like he didn't have an eye scale anymore.

I washed my hands, got a cup of water, cotton swab, and a trash bag. dipped my finger in the water so i had a drip of water dangling off my finger, i held his head gently with my other hand and moved the drop of water to his eye, maybe an 1/8th of an inch and let the water tension form a little bridge of water between my finger and his eye, and i held very still and after a few minutes the mites let go and i was able to gently swab them away. these were big, 4-5 big crawly nasty mites out of each eye. really gross

I should have taken a pic of before and after but he's had enough stress for a day. His eyes look normal now. Was this the right thing to do? I don't know. He cooperated and wasn't trashing about. This trick wouldn't have worked on a bigger snake. I couldn't leave him all night with those things in his eyes.

But anyway, he seems to be doing ok, and hopefully things will be stress free for him from here out.

i'm off to bed, work in the morning, i'll keep posting his progress, night all.

[Starbuck]

i would follow SSSSnakes advice;
you need to give the PAM some time to work. You may see some more mites between now and then; these are probably ones that just havnt gotten the chance to die yet- They will, once they leave your snake to go molt their exoskeletons or to breed, they will die.

i would stop handling your snake 100%. Has it taken a meal at all yet? I'm assuming if its only a week old and it just shed in your care, that was its first shed and it will want to/need to eat pretty soon.

i would wait at LEAST 36 hours with absolutely ZERO contact with your snake, then offer it a prey item (i would think pinkie?) in its current enclosure. if using F/T, leave it overnight and remove in the am if untouched. if youre using live, i would put it in and sit quietly for as long as it takes to determine that your snake isnt interested (i wouldnt leave a live prey item in overnight, even if it is just a pinkie).

good luck, keep us updated, and im sorry you and your snake have had such a rough start :(

[arcus]

Hey all, just got home, peeked in on snakey and he seems ok. He is close to shedding, and no, he has not taken a meal. This will be his 1st shed, hopefully he will really soon so i can give him his 1st meal. I don't think he will eat atm being so close to shedding and is eyes greyed over.

I have a 6 pack of the frozen "arctic mice" pinkies from petco and will offer the smallest of them as soon as he sheds.

Sound right?

Thanks again everyone for helping me out with this ordeal.

i'll post some pics after he has had some time to recover and relax.

Any more advice or suggestions are really appreciated, I should wait till he sheds until I offer food right?

[arcus]

Checked in on him when i got home and he is very close to shedding, scales went clear. He was at his water dish gulping away! He appears mite free. If you look close his tongue is out. =)

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[TheZoo]

gorguse snake glad hes looking so much better

[EL Ziggy]

Very handsome snake arcus. Looks and sounds like things are getting better. Best wishes. My Cal King will readily eat during shed. My MBK is finicky so I feed her after she sheds. Considering the new environment, mites, and shedding stressors I would probably let it complete it's shed and relax a bit before attempting to feed.

[sharthun]

+1 cute little guy! :cool:

[arcus]

He shed while I was at work today, no sign of anymore of the pests on him or in the habitat. Offered a pinky and he didn't hesitate at all. =)

That Provent-a-Mite is worth its weight gold. I will keep a close eye out but I'm pretty sure everything is fine now.

Thanks everyone for the good wishes and advise. Good people around here =)