My ball python has mites need help!!!!

[legauln]

My ball python has mites around his eyes do you guys/girls know how to get rid of them?

[Jeff_Favelle]

Do a search for mites (on this site). The topic has been discussed 10,000 + times. All you need to know is within this site. Type in "mites" or "NIX" and read.

[Jeff_Favelle]

And they won't just be around the eyes. They are everywhere. You just haven't looked hard enough.

[justinO]

short version: go to shoppers drugmark (WALMART DOES NOT CARRY IT ANYMORE, DAMNIT!)

1 bottle nix ($12.99 blue & white box), mix with 4 litres water... shake-a shake-a shake-a..... take out all subtrate, throw it away, like out of the house away... spray enclosure/tank and area around it, all hides, and take out water dish for 1-2 days. Let solution dry. Spray snake, don't forget head and vent.

repeat a week later.

repeat with light spraying after shedding.

hope this helps! if not, please see above and search for "NIX" in posts.

Jessy
:)

[Spirit]

Do some searching, but olive oil has been known to work very well (though it can be messy).

Don't forget with mites and ticks you need to change the substrate and clean everything down (hides and plants esp), and make sure the viv is free of lingering bastages.

[lostwithin]

NIX is the way to do it. Good luck its worth repeating the process 2 weeks after the first treatment just to insure you got them all.

Devon

[MarcB]

As mentioned, Nix is the way to go, here is a link to a good article on the whole process.

http://www.pkreptiles.com/pdf/articles/mites.pdf

[Oni5000]

Hey,

If you can find a seller near you, try to get reptile relief. I've never had mites on my snakes, but I had some on my rats, and I used this to clean them up quickly. It's natural and non-toxic and unlike other solutions, you don't have to be as worried about it being harmful to your animals.

The website is www.naturalchemistry.com

[Bristen]

I personally have used NIX in the past as a preventive procedure.. I however am very interested in getting the Reptile Releif product as I try to avoid chemicals as much as possible.. some people have "over done it" with the NIX in the past.. there are no risks for your animals using Reptile Relief apparently...

Keep us posted,
Bristen.

[malaysianbloods]

I didn't read MarcB's shortcut to the article but if you use nix put paper towel as substrate eady to see mites and easy to change. Good luck, hope all go's well

[Spirit]

Personally, I've heard nothing but good things about olive oil (other than it being messy) for treating mites, but I've never had to deal with this problem, so I have no advice to offer.

However, I thought some of you might find this interesting. Kathy Love is the author of "The Corn Snake Manual". And yes, I know this thread is about a ball python, but if there's a risk at all, I'd like to think that this might help.

http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showpost.php?p=136182&postcount=10

If you want to know which thread this reply came from, click here. (http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19015)

[Bristen]

thanks for the link spirit.. that's why I would much rather use something like Reptile Relief, a non-toxic substance... perhaps the snake survives the NIX treatment, but how much did we hinder the snakes health? Who knows....?

Bristen.

[mykee]

I would also reconsider, after all this is done with, purchasing a WC animal (as I'm assuming it may be).

[chappy]

Provent-A-Mite also works wonders. You don't spray it directly on the snake, just in the enclosure. Replace the water dish but spray everything else. Let it dry and it will work for upto 3 monthes.

Also, no matter which one you use, if you have more then one snake it would be a good idea to treat them all for mites just in case. Mites spread like crazy.

Nick

[Herpsrus]

Have to agree with you Nick. Provent-A-Mite has done wonders for us here whenever we have had an outbreak.......hasn't happened in quite some time now.....
Mike

[Spirit]

Originally posted by Bristen
thanks for the link spirit.. that's why I would much rather use something like Reptile Relief, a non-toxic substance... perhaps the snake survives the NIX treatment, but how much did we hinder the snakes health? Who knows....?

Bristen.

Well like I said I've never tried Nix, but I have serious reservations about putting any pestiside on my snake... so when I saw Kathy's post, I remembered this one.

I'm curious though, has no one tried olive oil? It's supposed to smother the mites, and it seems to be completely harmless. Just do NOT use baby oil... LOL! Doesn't absorb. Olive, jojoba, grapeseed.... any carrier oil I assume would work, but PLEASE do the research on thjs if you decide to try it.

But seriously... what ARE your opinions about olive oil? Has anyone tried it?

[Vengeance]

I personally wouldn't bother trying with Olive oil because although it may or may not kill the mites on the animal it won't kill the eggs that could be anywhere within the cage, in the general area of the cage, or anywhere that they were laid.

I had mites when I first got my Ball python and I only needed to do one treatment of Nix to get rid of them and I haven't seen any ill effects of using a chemical product. So you really have to weigh what is more important, the health and stress level of you animal because you just can't seem to lick a mite problem with olive oil or a one, maybe two treatments of a chemical product, that unless ingested in decent amounts does not cause any problems and allows you animal to get back to it's regular stress free environment.

*edit*

That reptile relief looks like it me be a better natural alternative but having never tried it I can't comment. If I ever run into a mite problem again I may give it a shot.

[Spirit]

Olive oil is obviously to be used just on your snake, but I would completely replace the substrate with new stuff anyway, and clean down EVERYTHING before putting them back in the viv (and wash the viv properly). Or at the very least, change the substrate and put sevin dust on the decor for a few days (outside the viv) and use temporary hides.

If nix works for you, that's your decision... all I'm saying is there's an alternative to pesticides, that would be my choice.

And whatever you DO decide to use to treat your snake, know the risks.

[Jeff_Favelle]

LOL, NIX IS the alternative to pesticides. That's the point that everyone is trying to make.

[Spirit]

Thanks, Jeff. I know nothing about Nix, but if a snake can be killed by it (even if used incorrectly), that's enough for me to stay away from it... JMHO though.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Snakes can be killed by water used incorrectly. Does that mean you'd stay away from water as well?

I'd never ever use anything for mite control but NIX. Never had mites on ANY of my snakes, because each new snake gets quarantined and NIXED before it goes into the snake rooms.

[nita]

I have also used NIX with no ill affects and follow the same procedure as Jeff, every animal coming in is nixed and quaranteened. No problems that way. Any animals that go out to a show are nixed when they come home too, better safe than a mite infestation in my books. Couple rules I follow when nixing
1) No water dish for 24 hrs after nixing snake and enclosure.
2) Don't feed for 48 hrs after nixing

I figure if I follow those two rules I run a very low risk of my snake injesting any of the stuff.

[Spirit]

Originally posted by Jeff_Favelle
Snakes can be killed by water used incorrectly. Does that mean you'd stay away from water as well?

But that's exactly my point. Although water, when used correctly, is safe, what is safer?

There have been deaths caused by misusage of Nix (which is, from what I've understand here, not a pesticide), yet I've heard (emphasis on "heard") of none caused by sevin dust, which by my understanding, IS a pesticide. So which is safer?

As Kathy said in that thread, she knows "old timers" who swear by vegetable oils, and from my knowledge of the oils themselves, I can't see how they could possibly hurt the snake, even if used incorrectly. Aside of course from soaking the snake in several litres of it (as if a bath), in which case cause of death would be drowning, not the olive oil itself... and rather dumb to do in the first place.

I have nothing against NIX... like I said I've never had to deal with this problem, so I can't speak from experience. Nor am I calling it unsafe... I'm just saying if there's a safer alternative that's equally as effective (though maybe more work), I would sooner chose that one. Anyway... that's just my $0.02.

:)

[Bristen]

Originally posted by Jeff_Favelle
Snakes can be killed by water used incorrectly. Does that mean you'd stay away from water as well?

I'd never ever use anything for mite control but NIX. Never had mites on ANY of my snakes, because each new snake gets quarantined and NIXED before it goes into the snake rooms.

LOL!! Get real Jeff.. water is a natural, non-toxic and required substance to sustain life.. NIX is a toxic susbtance capable of killing a snake.. when used in small quantities, it will kill mites without killing your snake.. but you do NOT know what you are doing to your snake's liver, lungs, etc... there is a LOT of stuff being discovered in the last few years with regards to toxic substances, which INCLUDE pharmaceutical medications that we take for health reasons... moral of the story: water and NIX is NOT comparable in any way other than they are both liquids LOL!....

how serious or high are the risks? I don't know, probably very low... the number of snakes you have NIX-ed and that have lived and bred for years would show that proper usage is most-likely low risk and relatively safe...

I however would rather take the safest route possibly, but that's just my opinion... I have used NIX on almost all incoming animals at my place so far as well without any problems, but since discovering alternatives, I'd rather use something else. I however don't have anything else but NIX at my place right now, and since I'll be receiving more snakes in a week or two, I'll probably NIX them as well... but I'll eventually get away from NIX if I can...

have a good one,
Bristen.