The war againts Snake Mites

[Doug]

HI,
Many times we are trying to do the right thing with our pets to keep them healthy and free of mites, but to do this you need a good foundation or understanding of the life cycle of the common snake mite.
It can be a little tricky getting them gone for good.
SO here's a link to a well written treatment plan that also identifies the life cycles so you can see why they keep coming back. ..

VPI Life History of the Snake Mite


I personally only use PAM (Provent-A-Mite), so any additional products listed above should be researched to be sure its safe.when using PAM you are killing the adults, any larva will die as soon as they hatch and the cycle is broken its safe if used as directed , its proven safe, and the snake will be mite free in about a day the cage may take longer but the PAM last up to a month after a single treatment..
The link was to help everyone see how complex the life cycle is and the problems that can occur with a mite infestation.
Doug

[Phoenix]

No. Never spray it directly on the reptile. Simply treat the substrate and furnishings. The mites will disappear entirely form the cage and snake in less than 36 hours; therafter, treat every 30 days. Clay's Ultimate Boa Constrictor Care Manual provides remedies to multiple issues, it might be worthwhile to download it if you haven't already.

[Tecky]

Alright, I'll be sure to pick that stuff up, thanks for the help. I will check out the manual as well.

[marzz]

hi all...being the new guy i usualy wait awhile before jumpin in ,any way...for mites i use nix. iv'e been using it for ten years now without any ill effects whatsoever. for the first ten years i tried everything ,and nothing i tried ever lasted. iv'e got 25 cages here and i only have to treat the one time a year. now nix is for human hedlice ,but if you follow my directions it is totaly safe. i would NEVER recomend somthing i'm not using myself. i remember the first time i used it i spent a week waiting for the disaster to happen ,i didnt know the breeder personaly that told me about it. but it works better than anything iv'e ever tried. if you decide you want to try it let me know and i'll give you the recipe...

[ludo410]

eeek. PAM illegal in calf... so most pet stors will not carry it. i did how ever get it from my vet and convinced to have a local petshop here in the lesser fresno area to order it in. As for the "jungal earth" brand sub it is all kiln dryed so all the larva of ticks, mites, and worms will be eradcated If you choose to keep using it ask to see the dealers herps; needless to say if they have mites RUN and order your sub drect ludo's $0.02

[Dreadhelm]

I have had a king snake for a while and have not had a problem with any mites. Could be because I live in the desert of Cali. I was recently purchased by a red tail and I am concerned about this issue. How prevelent is it? I downloaded the guide, but I am curious to know just how concerned I should be. Wouldnt want anything to happen to this guy who is currently on my shoulder as I type this.

Thanks.....

[shivaboa]

Snakemites can come from being outside in the countryside, where there are wild snakes, from walking into a petshop, or from buying substrate such as aspen from a petshop. If you use paper towels or newsprint and don't let your snake crawl outside in the country, it is very unlikely that you will get mites.

[Tinytheboa]

I was told to store my Aspen in the freezer for three days before using it in the cages. I just keep it in there all the time (since i have room).

Does this work for the bedding purchased at stores?

[Ihaggerty1313]

There are many ways to prepare your bedding for the cage. The easiest and most effective way that I have found to be is w/ PAM. I'm not even joking when I tell you that this is the ONLY product I've ever used & successfully gotten rid of mites w/. And that's w/ 19 years in the bucket of keeping herps.

PAM is an godsend. I buy it directly online a few cans at a time. I also use it every week when I clean the cages. You've got a better chance of seeing god than a snake mite when you start using PAM (Provent-A-Mite).

But for god sakes READ and use as directed. DON'T spray on the animal!.. Unfortunatly I have 1/2 a heart and will not be testing any snakes to see if it kills them. But I'm pretty sure it would! I also spray the snakes down w/ Zoo Med Mite off on cleaning day. That product you CAN spray the animals w/.

If I ever get another snake w/ mites again in my quarantine room I'm going to run a test. I'm going to clean the snake off, and treat the whole cage w/ PAM (leaving all substrate and what not in the cage). I bet I can rid a snake of mites w/o changing substrate or baking anything w/ this product. That's how confident I am of PAM.

[Phoenix]

At the recommendation of one of our genius members I began using Equate. It is used for treating bedding for lice/mites, contains the same active ingredient to the exact percentage, and only cost $4. at Walmart. So far, absolutely great! I was skeptical at first, but seeing is believing. Provent-A-Mite is Equate marketed as the one-and-only, exclusive solution to a herper's worst nightmare.

[Ihaggerty1313]

Well then I guess I should try some of this stuff out! $4 bux! How long have you used it for? If it works like you say it does I may hug you. That means less... money ..on Mite prevention... MORE MONEY FOR BEER! WOOOHOOO!

-Ian

Oh and BTW Pheonix... Is that a Brazilian Jungle Boa you have for your picture?!!.... Cause if so.... I'm jealous.