Soo freakin pissed off.

[dball]

When I bought my snake I fed live mice. Now I have the pet store kill them then I take it home stick it in the freezer thaw it the next day then feed my bp. Was out of town this weekend and didn't have time to let the mouse freeze over night. Picked up a mouse yesterday afternoon, stuck it in the freezer for an hour or more, then thawed it for a while. I always take my bp out and handle her for a good half hour to get her moving before I feed her. In the meantime I let the mouse warm up under the heat lamp. Before I feed her I also line the enclosure with paper towels to avoid her feeding on her aspen substrate.

So to the point I put her in the enclosure on the paper towels. Then using my tongs Iput the mouse in and dragged it around til she bit and constricted it. As she was getting it positioned I noticed TWO LITTLE BLACK THINGS CRAWLING ON THE MOUSE. It was a white mouse but they were still hard to see. I picked them off with my fingers before my girl got the mouse down. Those were the only two I saw. I didn't see any on the paper towels either. Now I am terrified my snake might have mites. I am also ready to go back to the store and break the guys jaw that sold it to me. Damn I am so mad and scared for my girl.

Do you think there is a good chance she will have mites now?

Does freezing kill mites if the mouse has them on it?

Thanks for listening and I hope you guys are a little more optimistic about this than I am right now.

[boa]

Your girl has mites for sure.Go buy a bottle of NIX headlice shampoo get a spray bottle new dollar store drop 2 drops of NIX in bottle warm watter spary her & whole cage make sure no waterbowls are in cage for few days then clean cage soap water should be gone.

You don't need to fight the guy who sold the ball python Mites are very very common in the reptile world pet stores are common for it however thats where you come in & kill the mites yourself before entering the new reptile.

Good Luck.

[dball]

I would like to clarify one thing. I have had my ball for about 2 months now and I am absolutely positive they are not from her. I know the two on the mouse were on it when I brought it home. It just looked like two peices of dirt. But when they finally started crawling aroung I then realized it wasn't dirt. Pulled them off and killed them, then tried to see if there were any more on the mouse before she got it down. But I didn't see any. There were non on the paper towels when she was done eating either. Do you still think she definately has mites now? Do you think they were mites for sure?

Is there any way to tell if she does have them for sure before I start treating her? I was told by someone that owns over 100 snakes, 20 of them bps, that when you start treating them you have to keep treating for about a month because it takes a while to kill off all the eggs. And doesn't the snake need water? What if she ingests some of the spray? Is there anything better than NIX lice shampoo?

I don't want to fight the guy that sold me the snake. But I do want to blast him for selling me a mouse with what ever kind of bugs they were on it. I am not going to of course. Just extremely frustrated. I do everything possible to make my snake happy, comfortable, and stress free. Having mites or parasites negates my best efforts.

[rrrrr]

I dont know what was on the mouse. It wasn't necessarily snake mites though. Snake mites are specific to reptiles and would be unlikely to be found on a mouse. It could have been a flea or something of the sort, that wouldn't be a problem for your snake, but "mite" infest your cat or dog. I would hold off on treating your snakes until you have specific evidence of mites.

Keep your snakes on white paper towel so you can see mites on them. Check the water dish for mites. They'll look like tiny grains of pepper in the water. Rub your snake around the head/neck with your hands and check your hands for little bugs. Do this for a few weeks and see what the results are.

I have cleared up mites twice using nix. Took one treatment the first time I did it. 2 treatments the second time around. If you decide to treat for mites, ask again about specific directions.

[gonesnakee]

You do not have mites for sure as has been stated. All you know for sure is that you saw 2 little black things crawling on a mouse from the petstore. Reptile mites are host specific meaning they don't transfer to other animals. They can be carried on other animals & the possibity of the things you saw on the mouse being mites is there, but not a given. Mice when live quite often carry fleas & they can be seen crawling on them. Don't assume your snake has mites find out for sure. Monitor it closely over the next while. I'd suggest changing the substrate to white paper towels & paying close attention to it & the water dish along with the snake. You could do a precautionary mite treatment also, but I'd be more apt to think you saw fleas on the mouse or wood mites from the shavings. You visit the petstore frequently to buy these mice right? Do the snakes there have mites? Should be easy to tell if they do. If they do I would be worried, but if not I wouldn't worry too much. Why are you buying live killing them & freezing them etc.? Seems silly to me. Why not just buy frozen ones & eliminate all the possibilties of fleas & wood mites. Mark
P.S. run a search for NIX treatment for snake mites as there are tons of posts on site about it. For somene to say you have mites for sure based on that you saw 2 black specs moving is not accurrate. If you see any on the snake you can tell if they are hanging on & if they are & squish blood they are mites for sure. Check extra close in the eye & pit areas. Don't assume they are as thye are likely wood mites or fleas. Also check the live mice next time at the store & have a real good look to see whats going on with them as well.

[gonesnakee]

I posted as other post was made. Glad to see someone else has a better thought process than an automatic assumption, Mark

[dball]

I have never seen any bugs on the snakes at the pet store. I actually trust the guy because he has a good reputation and has been in business for 40 years. He refuses to sell any pets he feels might have anything wrong with them. Thats why I was so shocked and frustrated with this whole thing. Anyway I did squish the bug between my finger and it did not bleed. It was more of a clear fluid. He keeps his mice on aspen bedding.

As for not buying frozen I simply don't know. The pet shop is around the corner from my gym so I stop by, he gases it, I go on my way. Its very easy and its only a buck per so no big deal. I keep saying I am going to take the time and find an online store, this is just so easy though. Plus that way I know it was just killed and hasn't been sitting in a freezer somewhere for God knows how long.

I will keep a very close eye. Everyone's help is very greatly appreciated. Glad I have you guys to ask when i need help. I have read a ton of caresheets and none of those tell you exactly what to do in this situation.

[MTCvenom]

Hey man you just need to calm down alittle. Everything will be ok. you caught it early enough to do something about it. go out and buy some equate bedding spray at wal-mart and just spray everything except the water bowl down. let air dry and you should be fine. equate bedding spray is equivalent to provent-a-mite and way cheaper. It will not only eliminate all mites but it will also leave a residue that will keep mites away for 30 days.

[gonesnakee]

I know both fleas & wood mites have caused me undue stress in the past. Good that you are asking & better safe than sorry. Be sure to monitor things still though in case boa's assumption was indeed correct. If the snakes etc. at the store are "clean" likely they weren't snake mites though IMHO Mark

[kronic2005]

Host specific.

[dball]

Hey man you just need to calm down alittle. Everything will be ok. you caught it early enough to do something about it. go out and buy some equate bedding spray at wal-mart and just spray everything except the water bowl down. let air dry and you should be fine. equate bedding spray is equivalent to provent-a-mite and way cheaper. It will not only eliminate all mites but it will also leave a residue that will keep mites away for 30 days.

Is there any specific way to mix it or just follow the directions on the box? Also is there a specific type of equate bedding spray or is there only one kind?

Thanks for the help.

[dball]

Also one or two more. Should I spray under the hides? Is it ok to leave her in when I spray? Will it have any ill effects on her skin etc.? Should I put the water bowl right back once finished spraying? Ok maybe four, lol, thanks again.

[MTCvenom]

when and if you decide to spray down your cage DO NOT spray the snake unless you immediately wipe it off. It is oil based so it will rot scales of the snake if left on. I do not recommend spraying your snake. when spraying lift everything up and make sure you get every nook and cranny. Now as for what kind. There are many different kinds of bedding spray but the equate is the cheapest and is exactly the same as the name brand stuff. equate is just as strong if not stronger than the name brand stuff. here is a pic of the equate bedding spray.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g70/MTCvenom/Photo_0018.jpg

[MTCvenom]

after you haved sprayed down the enclosure wipe off the glass or plastic and let everything else air dry for about 5 minutes. as for the water bowl goes clean it real good with soap and hot water and rinse really good before returning it to the enclosure. the residue left on the bedding and furniture will get just enough on your snake to kill any mites and not harm the snake.

[dball]

Wow, thank you. That helps alot. I am going to go pick up some tonight and spray everything down. Thanks again. I checked like crazy for signs of them today but didn't see any. Better safe than sorry though right.

Do I need to worry about the residue when misting the tank to keep humidity levels up?

[MTCvenom]

no you don't need to worry about the residue when spraying to keep the humidity up. just let it sit for a day or so before you spray so that the equate has enough time to soak in to everything. by the way don't go crazy when spraying. just spray a nice even coat. just enough to notice it on your bedding or furniture.

[dball]

Ok, thanks again MTC. Very helpful.

[gonesnakee]

If you do indeed even need to worry about a mite treatment (I'm kinda doubting it myself). The first thing you do is "gut" the entire cage, throwing away all the substrate & any cheaply replaced cage items. Bleach it out good, be sure not to leave any residue & set the cage up from scratch. White papertowel should be used as a substrate & minimal cage items until the problem is 100% fixed. By doing this you eliminate all the eggs & all the mites except what is attached to the snake. Spraying everything down with NIX after will guarrantee it.The snake should be bathed to remove as many as possible just with water & then treated. The product above will likely work but is meant for poultry & is not meant to be applied diretly to the snake. Personally the NIX treatment for snake mites in the best IMHO. Forget about the aerosol brand crap. It all has the same active ingredient as NIX anyhow. NIX treatment when used correctly is safe to use not only on the cage but on the snake itself. I still think it unlikely you got reptile mites from the mice that came from a store where the reptiles do not have mites & has been mentioned already they are "Host Specific" meaning they don't go on mice. If the store was infested it would be very easy to tell. Don't put your snake thru all the stress etc. of treatment over a paranoid assumption. Verify for sure that mites are present before going to the lengths to treat them. I'll willing to bet you saw a couple fleas or wood mites from the shavings & are likely worried over nothing. Mark

[Edmond Y]

I agree with gonesnakee and I don't think your snake has mites. If a snake has mites problem will shed very often. But for a peace of mind just follow the suggestion and take it easy.

Edmond

[kronic2005]

I agree 100% with Mark. I to use NIX as well, its alot safer and is more effective from my experiences.

[gonesnakee]

Also the whole "gut the cage" & go to white paper towels can be done to verify if there is any mites present for sure or not. It is usually part of any quarantine to begin with, nice & clean & sainitary. I use towels for everything but larger Boids. No fleas or wood mites to trick ya. It is good to give it a good gut a few times a year for sure anyway. Mark

[dball]

Again I greatly appreciate everyone's help. Yesterday was very busy for me but I still managed to make to walmart although they didn't have any of the stuf I was looking for. But I examined my girl and her enclosure very closely and couldn't find a thing. I'll gut it tonight and bake her hides and keep a close eye. I honestly don't think she has them. We'll see.

[Peter Ludwig]

Lice are also host specific and are very very small. They stay very close to the body of the mouse clinging to the hair where it is warm but will leave a carcas when it cools. They look like an ant and move very slowly and have a red tinge to them. I don't think they are any problem to reptiles because they live in hair.

[peterm15]

just skip the bedding spray.. its not needed.. gut the cage keep a close eye on your snake and freeze all beeding for 72hrs BEFORE putting it in the cage.. any bedding in there now.. throw it out...


your snake will be ok and by using treatments that are not needed will stress the snake.. just leave it be and do not treat your snke for mites UNLESS she HAS mites.




i have a little rant as well.. is it just me or is there a TON of ppl posting all over this forum offering advice that know nothing. NO correct info.. its great that you still have ppl like mark and a few others that post on this forum to give good advice but really ppl.. if you dont know 100% what to say, the advice to give, dont post