Help Mites!!!

[bigmitch]

;D Hey everyone . I have never had mites on my boa but, I keep finding these little black bugs in his water dish. I don't find anything on my baby just in his water. They look more like nats to me has anyone else ever had nats before? What does a mite look like?? Anyone who can help me out please it would be much appreciated... ???

[sclark]

Re:Help Mites!!!

Hey Jayson,

Nats do get into the water sometimes, during the warmer months. If you sure they are nats, I wouldn't worry too much..

Steve

[sclark]

Re:Help Mites!!!

Opps, missed the last line.. Mites look like tiny redish or black versions of bettles, just alot smaller.. if you can look at them under a magnifying gladd, you will see an oval looking body with wings that are on their body, they do not sick up like a nat would, and the wings are not clearish like a nat. Mite wings are the same color as its body. If you are looking your snake over for mites, keep an extra eye around the snakes head, eyey, mouth and nostrils. Also look closely for any white specs. The white specks are the mite poop.

A good idea is to get yourself a can of Provent-A-Mite as soon as you can. Remove the boa and its drinking containor from the cage, change the bedding to newspaper for a month and spray the provent a mite in the cage as directed. Let is air out fully for two hours before you return your snake and fresh water in a clean dish. It takes a few days to start killing the mites off. It lasts for a month. I do that with all my new snakes even if they show no sign of mites. Just as a safty precaution..

Hope that helped..

Steve

[bigmitch]

Re:Help Mites!!!

;D Thanks Steve..Are there any at home remedies I can use if it is mites I'm going to go look at one under the microscope..

[bigmitch]

Re:Help Mites!!!

Do mites have anttenas?? These little guys have anttenas with no wings.with stripes on there bodys almost like a flea..

[sclark]

Re:Help Mites!!!

Hey Jason,

There are a few home remidies, but they are not fun and do not work half as well as Provent a mite. I know some use no-pest strips, but let me tell you, I do not think that is a good idea at all. I have gotten snakes in with people who used these no pest strips and the snakes were very messed up, lots of Nerilogical problems. I did this once and seemed to work pretty good, but the boa hated it and it took like 7 hours. I basically soaked the boa for two hours in luke cool water. Then the fun began. Took the boa out, put minerial oil on the boa, behind the head only, then started to go scale by scale, picking mites and anything that didn't belong off him. The head was the hardest part. This boa was not a friendly soul. He tried bitting me many times, And its real hard to hold on to an oiled up boa. Guess the redneck equilvent would be a greased pig..LOL.. Provent a mite is about 20 bucks at any pet store, but it goes a long way. I got a bit carried away late time a snake with mites ended up in my house. I put all the snakes in soak tubs upstairs and they soaked for a good two hours while I scrubbed every tank out and down with 10% bleach mixture. I even soaked all the wood and stone items in the same mix. Replaced all the bedding to new paper. Sprayed the new bedding with provent a mite, sprinkled the carpet with the natural granuals that cut and kill the mites, and two tanks that I had, which I knew had too mank crevisis, that one I took outside, cleaned it, covered the top with heavey plastic, taped the plastic on, let it sit in the sun for 6 hours. Tank temp got over 160 degree's.. That will also kill those mites..

After going nuts for many hours cleaning. I got them fully under control. By the end of the first week, not one mite was found. So it does work..

I do not think mites have anntennas. I could be wrong, but I don't think they do. They are in the flea family..

Steve

[bigmitch]

Re:Help Mites!!!

;D I don't think there mites I've ben doing a lot of reeding and there two big to be mites..Whooooo!! **Wipes the sweat of his brow** I guess there some kind of nat or something . I'm gonna give it the provent a mite treatment anyway..thanks Steve ;D

[sclark]

Re:Help Mites!!!

Hey Jayson.

That is good news.. mites are a real pain to get rid of. I take every precaution possible..

Steve

[Red]

Re:Help Mites!!!

I always use provent-a-mite... It is the only way of keeping them out with no problems...
Eric aka...Red

[BMoore]

Re:Help Mites!!!

Hey BigMitch.....
I was having the same problem. Knat's! I freaked out at first and posted about it. Maybe because it's summertime and they go for water. Hmmmmmmmmm. I'm glad I'm not the only one!

**Beth**

[bigmitch]

Re:Help Mites!!!

Cool..like I said they were little nats I brought some to work on a piece of tape and the preventive medicine doc said they were nats after he looked at them under the microscope.

[sclark]

Re:Help Mites!!!

Hey Jayson,

That is real good news.. You don't want mites on your babies..

Steve