Mite treatment

[Suzanne]

Hi everyone,

I let my sister borrow one of my ball pythons to breed with her female and he's come back to me infested with mites. I should of known better cause my sister has had a lot of problems with smake mites in the past :doh . My question is this: is there a product out there specifically to treat mites on reptiles and if so is it better than using the Nix solution (Nix diluted in water)?

Thanks

 

[DaveDragon]

I've never tried the Nix solution but I've heard good things about it.

Some have suggested the Wal-mart Equate bedding lice spray, they say it's the same as Provent-a-Mite. Sounds risky.

 

[Suzanne]

Thanks.

I've used the Nix before. I bought a snake last year at a reptile expo and when I got it home I realized it had mites. I treated it with the Nix solution and it worked real well. I just wanted to make sure that I am using the best possible product. My sister also uses the Nix and she can't seem to get rid of her mite problem (of course there may be other factors ot play there) so I just wanted to know if there is a better product out there.

 

[Beazer]

I have had a lot of dealings with mite (I work with wc pythons a lot). The best product I have found has been Prevent-A-Mite. Though, its really hard to say whats a healthy yet affective treatment. I havent seen any health issues that come with the Provent-A-Mite, however, I dont think any pesticide/bug spray can be healthy to expose any animal to (or yourself) so its kind of a lose/win situation. Just remember not to spray it directly on the animal.

I tried the stuff from ZooMed that smells like cloves and it didnt seem to do the job of killing eggs.

The olive/vegetable oil technique I really dont like at all and it doesnt kill the eggs either. Just makes the snakes skin oily and unable to breathe and then you have to use soap to remove the oil.

Do not do the Seven Dust technique... I cant believe people still use it.

Avoid the little (i forget the name of it) thing that looks like a piece of soap because it has proven to cause neurological disorders.

As far as a technique that I have tried without using toxic sprays (which may lead to systemic/autoimmune diseases in you). I have had success with keeping the cage simple (plastic hide, water dish, paper towel) and cleaning it out every day (clean the cage while the snake is soaking) and soaking the snake everyday (in a container on tile or far away from where teh snake will be staying), and using a papertowel/hand cloth to dry it, and using tweezers to remove mites under any scales. Also, if your snake is getting ready to shed, that is the BEST time to try and get rid of the suckers. Soak the snake when it starts appearing like it may shed within the weak or so. And be ontop of the shedding to remove it, or hpoeful it will shed in soaking container, and remove the snake from the place it just shed in and that helps A LOT.
Its mostly easier with smaller snakes, like the ball pythons, so if the snake isnt too insanely infested, try the soaking technique and simple cage set up. But if you are going to use something to kill the mites ASAP, use Provent-A-Mite.

-Jon DeLong

 

[RehabRalphy]

Provent a mite and equate lice bedding spray are 100% the same.

Ingredients.

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Permethrin 0.50 %

 

[argus333]

i prefer the natural way coat snake in mineral oil from head to tip do not get in his eyes leave it on him for 10 mins rinse off excess clean cage real good take out all furnishings put newspaper or paper towels in cage as bedding. repeat mineral oil bath in 2 weeks works every time.

 

[Suzanne]

Thanks for all the info guys. I'm going to try the mineral oil, if it doesn't work I'll try the Provent a mite.