mites

jossh27 · 03-02-15, 10:00 AM

i was just wondering about mites... how do captive snakes get them? what are preventative measures i can take to avoid the creatures? mainly what to look for?- i saw somewhere that they are little black critters and should stick out pretty noticeably on my albino king

yeloowtang · 03-02-15, 11:21 AM

If your snake is clean, the only way to avoid them is to quarentine any new arrivals.
but even then, you may never get another snake and still get them.

-you could visit a reptile show and have them hitch a ride to your place
-you can get them from the pet shop
-a friend with reptuiles who visits you
-accesories from a pet store

if your snake sudently spends all his time in the water bowl, that's a good sign.
loses appetite is another one but not always.
they can get more defensive (get easaly iritated)

the NIX treatment to rid them or simply as a precaution every couple of months is on good way..
many big breeders who go to shows will treat everything going there and coming back home just to be safe..

hope this helps shed light a little

jossh27 · 03-02-15, 06:25 PM

Lol man snakes are like children in grade school!

I watched a YouTube video of a girls python had mites and they were litteraly crawling all over the poor snake

**Aaron_S** · 03-02-15, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yeloowtang

If your snake is clean, the only way to avoid them is to quarentine any new arrivals.
but even then, you may never get another snake and still get them.

-you could visit a reptile show and have them hitch a ride to your place
-you can get them from the pet shop
-a friend with reptuiles who visits you
-accesories from a pet store

if your snake sudently spends all his time in the water bowl, that's a good sign.
loses appetite is another one but not always.
they can get more defensive (get easaly iritated)

the NIX treatment to rid them or simply as a precaution every couple of months is on good way..
many big breeders who go to shows will treat everything going there and coming back home just to be safe..

hope this helps shed light a little

This is a really good post about how to get them. However the most common way wasn't mentioned.
Wild caught animals brought into the collection without proper precautions.

Also, on accessories and on your person are less likely than most other ways. Mites need food so they won't be hanging out on accessories for too long since it's not a source of food for them.

At shows it comes from handling animals that may have them and not notice them. Or if you're a vendor, someone handles someone elses animals with mites than handles yours. OR the person next to you has them in their collection and they leave their deli cups and come to yours. lol...

Best thing is to be cautious and don't bring bad animals into your collection. It's quite avoidable.

yeloowtang · 03-03-15, 07:46 AM

absolutely right Aaron, i forgot to mention wild caught !!! and mites are not the only nasty thing they can bring in a collection..

precaution is a must

jossh27 · 03-03-15, 09:44 AM

Hence what I've read about quarantining new animals. You guys are awesome.

pet_snake_78 · 03-03-15, 08:52 PM

You can get them from snakes in your yard too. This fall I found shed skins in my basement, I suspect they are still down there hibernating in the insulation.

jossh27 · 03-18-15, 09:45 PM

you found wild snake sheds in your basement?

**Aaron_S** · 03-19-15, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pet_snake_78

You can get them from snakes in your yard too. This fall I found shed skins in my basement, I suspect they are still down there hibernating in the insulation.

Snakes don't hibernate.

prairiepanda · 03-19-15, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

Snakes don't hibernate.

Brumation is similar enough

**Aaron_S** · 03-19-15, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prairiepanda

Brumation is similar enough

No it isn't.

Hibernation is what bears do. They literally sleep all winter. With Brumation the snakes are still active to a certain level. Still need water at times as well.

They aren't that similar.

kateness91 · 03-19-15, 09:36 AM

A good preventive on top of the mite sprays you can use hot spots pest strips on the outside of the enclosures on the OPPOSITE side of their water bowl..

jossh27 · 03-19-15, 10:11 AM

Lol Aaron, you always seem to be there to set people straight. I'd be intimidated to buy a animal from you

**Aaron_S** · 03-19-15, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jossh27

Lol Aaron, you always seem to be there to set people straight. I'd be intimidated to buy a animal from you

hahaha You'd be the first person to ever feel that way.

pet_snake_78 · 03-20-15, 08:35 PM

I've never seen the actual snakes, most likely they are still in insulation or somewhere hidden in my wife's many boxes of belongings lol However, numerous sheds have were found in fall and I've not had any escapes so I imagine there's multiple snakes down there. I leave 8 oz deli cups of water on both sides of the basement in case they need water. I assume they are milk or garter snakes, I've got ringnecks and dekays in the yard too but the sheds were many times larger than those. the only downside is I have a lot of reptiles down there just for winter and the hottest part of summer so I don't want them dragging something in.