how can you get ride of mites they are all over my snake?

Question

my ball python is covered in mites and i need to no how to get them off

Answer 1

Zoo Med sells a product called mite off that is good to use and doesn't harm your snake. And there's another product that I use called reptile relief by Natures Chemicals. What ever you choose, be sure to clean the cage with a mild solution of bleach water, and let it dry completely before putting fresh substrate back in. make sure you wash the water bowl too. While you're letting the cage dry, take the snake and put it in a warm water soak, it will drown the mites. let it soak for about half an hour or so and remove from the water, dry it off with a towel, then spray the snake with either mite off or reptile relief. If you have more than one snake in your collection, it would be a good idea to treat them as well. It's a good thing to wash your hands after contact with an infected reptile, as mites use us and other objects as transports between other reptiles.

Answer 2

It will take a few treatments to get rid of the mites. You will need to remove everything from the enclosure. You will have to treat the entire enclosure, including the lid, under the enclosure, around the top if you are using an aquarium. During treatment, do not leave a water dish in the enclosure. If you are using anything wood in the enclosure, throw it away (hide box, log, etc). Use papertowels for bedding.



Now, for what to use. There are 3 products I can say for sure work.



1 is Provent-A-Mite, but you have to order it online and it is around $20 a can. You have to be very careful using it, as I have seen snakes get severe burns from misuse.



2 is called Reptile Relief by DeFlea. It is a "natural" treatment. It is absorbed through the shell of the mites and they explode. I have used this myself on several new snakes that I have gotten in with mites. I have taken care of the mite problem within 2 treatments, and I always treat a 3rd time just to make sure.



3 is Sevin dust. Several people will tell you not to use this as it is a strong pesticide. I have used it recently with no problem. Just a light sprinkle under the papertowels and a sprinkle on the snake. Usually 1 treatment is all it takes.



I would say use the reptile relief. It is the safest. To get the mites in the heat vents, spray a little on your hands and wipe on his face. Be sure not to get it into the mouth or eyes. After treatment, the snake will go into a shed cycle.

Answer 3

I HATE mites! They are every snake collectors nightmare! If you have just one, then that isn't so bad. But more than one... mites jump, and use us, dogs, other reptiles to get to more snakes. Good thing is that snake mites only infest snakes... if you have any other reptiles they are good. They might get bitten a few times, but they won't get infested. Mite Off is a really good product, but I have found that using Nix works better (you know, the stuff you use for human head lice?) It's a bottle of Nix per gallon of water. Mix it all up, put it in a sprayer, and go to town. You can even spray the water bowl. Just make sure you clean it out well before you fill it again.



I have sterile tanks that I have on demand in case a set of mites do happen to infest, but it has been awhile. I will scald the tanks with water, and then cover in the Nix solution. Mites are kinda goofy about temperatures, like snakes, and prefer a heat variant exactly like the snakes. They can't survive in extreme heat, and will hibernate in the cold.



If you do see a mite on a snake, you can assume the rest of your snakes have them, and treat accordingly. Make sure you have a sterile container to place them in before you soak them, and then place the snake in a lukewarm bath for about twenty minutes. Some snakes, like blood pythons, love the water, and will spend most of their time submerged, which works perfectly for you. The mites will drown, but be sure to rub around their eyes and mouths... the mites will burrow in nasal cavities and under scales to avoid the water. I will run my hand down the length of their body a few times underwater to make sure all the loose guys are off. I would recommend hold the snakes head, cause some snakes hate this procedure, and will strike if given a chance. Spray them down with the Nix or Mite Off, then place in their tub while you attend to the cage.



Use the bleach solution like mentioned before, and clean everything. Mites will also get into the carpet, so I usually spray the Nix solution on the carpet in my snake room, trying to kill anything that might be crawling. Place them back in the cleaned out tanks, on paper towels, and keep an eye on them. You will be able to see the mites on the towels, and in their water bowls, and if you see ANY, repeat the procedure.



When acquiring a new snake to add to a collection, I would recommend a quarantine procedure, where you keep the new snake away from the others for a month. It needs to be in another room, away from any mice or rats (they can also carry the mites, and could be a reason the snake has mites to begin with), and be sure you wash your hands and arms before coming in contact with your other snakes. I will wear a white shirt, so I can tell if I have any stow aways.



Hope that helps!!!

Answer 4

First off, clean out the cage of everything in there! Wash and sanitze the cage thoroughly! Now go buy a bottle of human hair lice spray(same active ingredients as reptile mite sprays, just cheaper). Spray the empty cage well, cover and leave for a couple hours. rewash and sanitize the cage again, rememberin to rinse well. Do not put anything back in that was there before, especially if its wood or porus materials. If its wood and you really must keep it, place into a plastic bag with a pest strip, seal shut and leave for at least 24 hrs. and then let it air out for at least 48 hrs after removing from bag. Its easier to throw away and buy new! No substrate, use newspaper as you need to change it often for awhile. A ceramic water bowl and use a cleaned, sanitized butter dish or similar item with a hole cut in it for a hide.

That takes care of the cage, now for the snake. Drowning works really well for mites. Place just enough warm water into a plastic storage box with air holes to almost cover your snake (don't drown him!) Spray some of the lice control into the water. Soak your snake for around an hour, add warm water as needed for snakes comfort. Then give a clean, warm water bath to rinse. Repeat 3 or 4 times about 5 days apart including the cage cleaning. You can also spray the area around the cage such as the table.

Answer 5

Relax... They come from the breeder's unsannitary, husbandry practices. Whoever sold him to you has infested tanks, trust me.



Mix up a 10% bleach solution diluting one part of bleach in 9 parts of water. Give the tank a good wash in hot water. Do likewise with all his furniture and bowls.



Now, the slitherin': You can get a mite spray from the pet store, or you can use "Pam" spray, which is what my reptilian specialist uses. Spray the snake, then rinse him off. The spray suffocates the mites. That should do it

Answer 6

try rubbing it down with some vinegar.. that should work.