Mites - Where'd they come from?

[Kathy]

I have a bit of a mite problem in my BPs, problem is I don't know the source. My latest BP I got from Corey Woods at the April expo, and that snake has been in his own enclosure (but in the same room as my other BP) since I brought him home. Both BPs are housed on white Paper Towl, and I have never had a problem with them. My older BP I have had since spring 2002.

Is it possible that the mites were transported into my house from their food? I have been trying to get them to eat F/T, but they are being very stubborn and will only eat freshly killed. I went to a different pet shop a few weeks ago, could the mites have come from there?

Also, what is the best way to get rid of the little buggers?

[Colonel SB]

Yes the mites could have come from the food. Also if you handled another snake with mites and not washed your hands it could have transfered them to your snake.

[Rich]

Hello,
Mites can actually come from anywhere. They are a parasite. Dogs,cats,humans,etc can all be hosts. You can get them outside just like any other animal can. If they stuck with you and found your reptiles, then they are now the host. Contracting a case of mites is not that difficult but getting rid of them is another story.
The snakes need to be cleaned as well as the enclosures. It is also a good idea to clean the room that they are in. Mites will lay their eggs anywhere. That includes rugs,curtains,etc.
Some people use mineral oil to clean the snakes though the mites can be drowned. That would mean pouring water all over the snake. Including the head. Mites can hide in the smallest of openings, so be prepared for some serious cleaning action!
It is always a good idea to wash your hands inbetween handlings of your different reptiles. This will help to eliminate cross contamination of parasites and diseases.

[lilyskip]

There's a good post in the general discussion board about how to get rid of mites with Nix... http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21147

[HetForHuman]

Originally posted by Rich
Hello,
Mites can actually come from anywhere. They are a parasite. Dogs,cats,humans,etc can all be hosts. You can get them outside just like any other animal can. If they stuck with you and found your reptiles, then they are now the host. Contracting a case of mites is not that difficult but getting rid of them is another story.
The snakes need to be cleaned as well as the enclosures. It is also a good idea to clean the room that they are in. Mites will lay their eggs anywhere. That includes rugs,curtains,etc.
Some people use mineral oil to clean the snakes though the mites can be drowned. That would mean pouring water all over the snake. Including the head. Mites can hide in the smallest of openings, so be prepared for some serious cleaning action!
It is always a good idea to wash your hands inbetween handlings of your different reptiles. This will help to eliminate cross contamination of parasites and diseases.

as far as ive heard Rich, snake mites cannot come from dogs, and cats. snake mites are snake mites.

[Linds]

Rich,
Mites are generally host-specific. Especially between warm and coldblooded hosts. Your snake cannot catch any mites from your dog or cat, or even a rat. Reptile mites come from reptiles. They can travel around for a period while in search of a new host and should they go over a bag of substrate, or your foot, or wherever, they can use you as transportation to the next host. Mineral oil, as well as any of the other oils, should also be avoided in treating snake mites. This is a primitive method and is no longer an accepted method. It isn't highly effective, and can lead to temporary scale loss in snakes due to suffocating the skin.

Kathy,
Nix is highly effective, and very safe. Good practice when going in to pet stores is to change your clothing and shower before going in the same room as your herps. Mites won't use you as a host, but they can use you as transportation. They can travel 11 feet in one day. Good luck... these buggers are very resilient and the life cycle can exceed 30 days, so be very thorough ;)