Snake Mites on my 22" BP

[Jolene1223]

Hi everyone. I just got my first Ball Pyhon 3 days ago and dicovered today that it has mites. I called the pet store and was told to bring it in and they would treat them. They put moneral oil on the snake and a Nix solution on the cage and bedding. Is this right? What should I do if not? Thanks

[Tiny Boidae]

Hi, mites can be a real pain but with some persistence you should be able to squash them. To start, remove anything from the cage that isn't absolutely necessary (as in you should only have two hides, a thermometer, your heat source, and a newspaper/paper towel bedding). You don't need any more problems than you have, so just remember K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid) when going about this. No more than necessary.

Everyday you'll want to wipe down the enclosure with a bleach/water mix and then rinse it out afterwards with pure water. Soak all cage furnishings in this mix, rinse with water, and replace the bedding.

As far as the snake goes, you can use some lukewarm water with a little bit of dawn soap and lather it up real good (being careful to avoid getting the mixture in any orifice). Then, wipe the animal's head down with mineral oil and rinse everything off.

I used to have three water dragons, the third being a subadult male from petsmart that was obviously wildcaught. He was covered in mites, filled with parasites, and pitifully sick. He did, unfortunately, succumb to his conditions, although I used that method to treat him and his cage for mites. Just remember that everyone has a different method when treating mites, and what might work for me might not be the same for someone else.

Btw, I think you might find this link useful:

Getting rid of reptile mites (http://www.anapsid.org/mites.html)

[that1guy]

I would recommend ordering a can of Provent-a-Mite and just follow the directions.

Provent-a-Mite (http://pro-products.com/provent-a-mite/)

[SSSSnakes]

I would recommend ordering a can of Provent-a-Mite and just follow the directions.

Provent-a-Mite (http://pro-products.com/provent-a-mite/)

Great advice. That is all I use and it works every time for me.

[Jolene1223]

Thanks everyone for the great advice.

[Aaron_S]

Nix or PAM work great.

Mineral oil should not be put on the snake. You can spray the snake directly with the Nix solution.

[reptiledude987]

Nix or PAM work great.

Mineral oil should not be put on the snake. You can spray the snake directly with the Nix solution.

Are you referring to pam cooking spray??

[SSSSnakes]

Are you referring to pam cooking spray??

PAM = Provent-a-mite

[reptiledude987]

oh ok I was going to say I never heard of such a thing before lmao

[millertime89]

Nix or PAM work great.

Mineral oil should not be put on the snake. You can spray the snake directly with the Nix solution.

These are the only two things I use.