Hellp, Mites

[chong_python]

alright guys, IT HAPPENED... just when u think its never gonna happen to you.


I picked up chong for his nighly handeling/inspection and relized when i put him back there was about 10 different sized/shaped bugs on my hands. However i cnat find any in the tank, there are a few on him, deep in his sclaes on the side. and there is a abrasion the size on a small scale on his head, im not sure if this is related

I have repti bark as substrate and pieces of driftwood, how can i get rid of these mites and elinmate all of them from my tank , and driftwood.

HELLP

thanx

[marisa]

First you will have to get rid of the repti bark and driftwood. I would throw them in the garbage but you can save the driftwood if you must. But it will need to be soaked in the treatment. Probably three times to be sure.

His substrate needs to be paper towel during this time. You then treat the snake, entire enclosure and surrounding area with NIX/water mixture (available at drugstore and I have to ratio somewhere here...i'll post it if someone else doesnt chime in before I find it) two-three times.

Marisa

[MouseKilla]

I don't know about the driftwood but you'll want to switch to a paper towel substrate until you're sure the mites are long gone.

First thing is to get the current substrate out of the cage and out of your house, don't leave in a garbage can in the same room with the snake. It doesn't hurt to vacuum the floors around the cage as well. If there are other snakes in the room you'll have to treat them all.

A lot of people seem to like using NIX lice medication to kill all the mites on the animal, I've used dishsoap and water, both work. Give the animal a soak in the solution of your choice for several hours, a rubbermaid with holes in the lid works. Fill the container to a level that is deep enough to give the snake no choice but to soak but not so deep that he has to swim.

While the snake is soaking use a bleach and water solution to clean the cage, rinse well because bleach can leave a residue that is toxic.

Put the treated snake into the clean cage with papertowel substrate, a water bowl (clear plastic preferably, it's easier to see the drowned bugs at the bottom) and a non-porous hide. Now wait a week and repeat the process. After that check the snake and the cage as often as you can for mites, if you see even one repeat the process all over again.

Expect to do the whole process twice (4 total treatments and cleanings), they're tenacious little bastards but if you clear them out faster than they can reproduce and give them nowhere to hide you'll get rid of them.

Good luck, I hate those things!

[Asian Jon]

Why not just use Provent-a-Mite? Is there a problem with using it that I don't know about?

My BP had a lot of mites before. I bought a can of Provent-a-Mite, took my BP out of it's enclosure and the waterbowl and sprayed the substrate (just read the instructions on the can). Then i let my enclosure air out for a bit and then I put my BP and waterbowl back. I've only had to apply it once to get rid of the nasty buggers.