mites

HMT · 06-12-11, 01:50 PM

I noticed my snake soaking excessively after a shed and found small black mites in the water. I've thrown away all the substrate, vacuumed, soaked the aquarium in water/ soap for about half an hour and cleaned all of that up, scrubbed everything down, and have my wood/ brick furniture in the oven. He's using paper bags as hides until this problem is solved. I've been cleaning the environment and surrounding room for a few hours now while reading up on it online. I have not yet treated the snake aside from a long bath, I do not have anything here to treat him yet. (I know this means I'll have to clean everything again, but with no substrate except the white paper towels it will be much easier) As a side note my snake is acting perfectly healthy and ate recently, no breathing problems or anything. Shed a few days ago (bad shed, my first clue).

I read this site: A Better Treatment for Snake Mites

Has anyone ever tried using predatory mites to remove the infestation?

and this one:
Reptile Mites - Remove Snake Mites, Kill Lizard Mites
I am not going to use chemicals, just mineral oil and betadine if I find it. Any other chemical-free advice the veterans here could add that might help?

Thanks a bunch!
Heidi

infernalis · 06-12-11, 02:01 PM

Myself, I am a big fan of pesticides when it comes to snake mites.

stephanbakir · 06-12-11, 02:02 PM

Nix is awesome.

Will0W783 · 06-12-11, 02:03 PM

I myself love the Nix method. It's easy, affordable, kills the eggs as well as hatched larvae and adults, and it is relatively non-toxic to the snake. Google "Nix for snake mites" for instructions. Best of luck...mites suck, but everyone has to deal with them at some point. The important thing is to get rid of them asap, as they can make a snake sick if left to go on too long.

Jay · 06-12-11, 02:03 PM

Have you looked into "Nix solution" I swear by it.

HMT · 06-12-11, 02:28 PM

lol, google helped me find threads in this forum about nix/ mite treatment better than the search function, which was almost useless. Reading up on nix... but would still prefer a non chemical treatment.

Will0W783 · 06-12-11, 03:20 PM

Unfortunately, there isn't a non-chemical treatment that will eradicate snake mites. They are very hardy, determine little buggers. Nix is the best way to go, IMO, as it's the safest method for snakes. It is so safe and mild that it can, and should, be sprayed directly on the animals.

mykee · 06-12-11, 04:43 PM

Soap, oil, lemon juice; all that useless junk is just that, useless junk.
If you want to get rid of your mites you NEED to use something that will kill them AND more importantly their eggs.
Nix.
Tons of threads here on it. Look 'em up. You'll also need to Nix bathe your snake.
Good luck.

acs102 · 06-12-11, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mykee

Soap, oil, lemon juice; all that useless junk is just that, useless junk.

Not completely useless. My BP came home from the pet store with mites. I spent all of Christmas day this past year researching methods and cleaning everything. Soaked the tank and hide in hot soapy water, and I soaked him in warm water with a bit of veggie oil twice for ten minutes at a time. I even steam cleaned the carpets in the apartment because the little buggers creeped me out. I haven't seen a mite since.

Shmoges · 06-12-11, 05:20 PM

predatory mites!! jesus that sounds like Cain toads all over again!!

Will0W783 · 06-13-11, 06:22 AM

Oil can kill them, it can clog their nostrils and is not something they should be swallowing. A tablespoon of Dawn dish detergent in a gallon of water can help to dislodge mites stuck on the snake, but it won't do anything about eggs and larvae in the cage...also it can mess up their lungs if they swallow it and it can wreak havoc on their digestive systems. I've never heard of using lemon juice, but I wouldnt' think it would do much.

I swear by Nix..it has never failed me.

stephanbakir · 06-13-11, 07:54 AM

Nix is AMAZING, and safe.

mykee · 06-13-11, 08:21 AM

Quote:

"Not completely useless. My BP came home from the pet store with mites. I spent all of Christmas day this past year researching methods and cleaning everything. Soaked the tank and hide in hot soapy water, and I soaked him in warm water with a bit of veggie oil twice for ten minutes at a time. I even steam cleaned the carpets in the apartment because the little buggers creeped me out. I haven't seen a mite since.
"

You got lucky. NOTHING in "hot soapy water", "veggie oil" or "steam" kills mite eggs.

HMT · 06-13-11, 08:34 AM

Ok thank you. Have nix.... hope for the best.

Ch^4 · 06-13-11, 09:05 PM

I like Provent-A-Mite (PAM). However, after 15+ years of keeping, I've never had to deal with mites, so I might not be the best statistic to go off of.

I definitely agree that PAM or NIX is a must.