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OH NO! MITES! HELP

Spencer

Spencer

New member
OK... So Here is the Issue
Fed Last Sunday... Not the past one, the one before. Changed the water a couple times. But snake was in blue, Actually I think she still is, Just, The stage before the shed, Not blue b about ready to peel out. Anyways. Last time I changed the water, I didnt look. Today. I did.. 4-5 black dots. Picked her up...And saw one black dot crawling on her.

So Her cage was right next to my other snake, and for the last... month or so, The one has been soaking more than usual.

I read about a betadine soak...unfortunately, If I buy tonight, it will take a couple days to get here... what can I do in the meantime... IS that all it takes? Just 1 betadine soak? And is this the right kind

http://www.amazon.co.jp/s/ref=nb_sb...&url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Betadine

And I havent noticed on my other snake.... any other methods for treating? How serious are mites....?:bowdown:

Arigato gozaimasu
 
Like....23 grams.
The big one is like 190 But haven't seen them on him yet. Just checked the little guy and can't see more.... But...apparently they can be tiny.
 
Mites are parasites that take blood meals from your snake. Depending on the age, size, and overall health of your snake, they can cause significant health concerns.

Provent-a-Mite (click) is, to my knowledge, the best go-to product to deal with mites. I've also read about diluted Nix treatments (normally used for human lice -- be careful to use the correct dilution ratio if you try this option) and the use of diatomoecious earth both in the vivarium and in carpeting around the vivarium to eradicate the little buggers (pardon the pun). You can also apply a thin coat of Vaseline (or similar product) around the outside of the vivarium to prevent the spread of mites. Soaking your snake can help drown the mites, but if I were handling treatment, I personally wouldn't rely on this as my sole method. Betadine is great to soothe and disinfect mite bites on your snake's skin. Beyond this, check out other options like Provent-a-Mite using the search thread; there's a lot to be gained by reading up on others' experiences. :) You'll find specific dilution ratios and treatment specifics this way; make sure to follow directions exactly for positive results.

A few threads on mites to get your search started:
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115979
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134915

Make sure you remove all vivarium decorations and bedding, if you haven't already done so. Thoroughly clean and disinfect the vivarium from top to bottom, inside and out, paying special attention to corners and edges, then lay down paper towel as temporary bedding. Check your temps atop your new substrate to ensure they're within safe zones, adjusting accordingly as needed. Keep your setup to a minimum during treatment -- water dish and replaceable hides (toilet paper rolls, paper towel tubes, and kleenex boxes are popular solutions) for now. Less to clean, and it'll be far easier to monitor your treatment progress (black bugs on white paper towel). Make sure you give the vivarium sufficient time to air out after disinfecting it. Discard used bedding and thoroughly clean and disinfect all decorations, dishes, and other vivarium equipment. I'd recommend a full scrubdown of all items with soap and water followed by thorough disinfection of nonporous items with dilute bleach solution. Substrate for future use (after all treatment has ceased and the mites are eradicated) can be sterilized using dry heat in the oven at 250-300 degrees F for a minimum of 30 minutes. I've heard it can also be frozen as well (I store mine in the freezer before sterilizing it for good measure). Wooden decorations can also be dried and sterilized at the same temperature. I can't quote time required for this, as I play it by ear. I usually check every 5 to 10 minutes when I start out to make sure the temp's not too high, then do 20 to 30 minute checks thereafter until I'm sure each item is dry.

Also, be sure to thoroughly clean and disinfect the areas around the vivarium, including all surfaces, carpeting, flooring, drapes, and furniture. If you vacuum, be sure to change the bag or thoroughly disinfect the canister when you're done.

Last, you may have to repeat the whole procedure more than once. Be patient. Mite eggs are tiny and easy to miss, even when thorough with the cleaning process. Good luck, though. I hope you're rid of them soon!
 
I wouldn't use Nix on a hatchling.

If you can't get any "real" mite treatments, you might have to use oil. I'm not sure how to do that- but I'm sure we can find out.

I _would_ use Nix, if you can get that, at half the strength you read about on reptile pages, to treat both snakes' cages adn the adult.
 
Adding that to my knowledge base - thanks, Nanci!

I've read that mineral oil can be dabbed into heat pits and over eyes with a cotton swab following a Betadine or plain soak, and a swab with mineral oil can be used to remove mites from between scutes. Can't hurt to have some on-hand...very inexpensive. That's all I know about oil for mites, though.
 
OK. Well oven is out...as I don't have one. They are not common in Japan. He's not a hatchling perse just tiny. He's almost a yearling. Lol. Halfway anyways...at least. Ignore not going nix as I've read about a snake dying.... But I'll get on the clean tomorrow after work..... as i don't have paper towel atm. I'll do a soak.

Now the snake tank that was beside....should I treat as if it has mites even though I haven't seen it?
 
By the time you have soaked and cleaned everything, new eggs will have hatched and you will have more mites than you had before. If you can physically see the adults(black dots), then you can guarantee there are much much more to come. Treatment needs to start ASAP. nix works well, I've used it personally and it is very effective. My 20+ animals treated had no ill effects. I have only had mites once and hopefully will never have them again.
 
That being said, I've never sprayed nix directly on a hatchling, I would only use it to clean the cage and decor. If you do go the nix route, all snakes should be soaked in water and have all mites removed, then soak both the snake and the cage AND the surrounding area with the nix solution. I used the directions from Alberta reptile society.
 
I definitely wouldn't use Nix on a small snake, say under 100 grams, and I would make it at half the recommended strength. People will recommend No Pest Strips, but those can be toxic even to adult snakes. I have used Nix, three treatments, two weeks apart, for adult and juvenile cages, and for dipping adult snakes, and for spraying carpet and walls and racks. (I went crazy, and in retrospect, it was all because of a crumb of cork bark- I can't see very well!!) I think if you clean the small snake's enclosure and then keep him on paper towels, you could probably get away with no insecticide.
 
That's good. I'll wash out both cages in 8 hours from now. Toss all the substrate, use paper towels after a complete soak down of the snakes. Buy new hides as well today.... toss out the 1 dollar hides I have now, and put the stone one in the freezer for a month. Maybe that will do it. Just needs to be tonight, as I don't have paper towels yet....
 
If you can avoid using pesticides like Nix or Sevindust, it is best to do so. Try to get rid of the mites without it, and if you can't do it organically, then you can always resort to pesticides later.

For the record, I have used nix (half strength solution) on hatchlings of various species, including corn snakes, with no noticeable ill effects. I had a really bad infestation in my entire reptile room a couple years ago and had to treat every single animal and cage (over 100).
 
And to think I was all happy I had never encountred eating issues and mites a couple months ago. Don't know how I got them tho
 
They can be really pervasive. The most likely origin is your local pet store. Sometimes a couple of mites will get on something you purchase and bring home, or even on you directly. I've seen them come in on decor, on the package of bedding, I've even heard about them getting tracked in on shoes.
 
Maybe.... But.... I feel I haven't been to a pet store in months. Like... at least 2 months. ...I remember seeing one thing a week or so ago on my bathroom wall (not near the vivs) . It could be they are natural here, we have lots of wild lizards and stuff
 
Did I Nip it in the Butt?

K, So I did a full clean... and Soaped all the cages. Checked the snake. nothing visible, And He just shed, and Put my other snake in a water bath, For which she HATES me now, and threw out a bunch of stuff, and vacuumed the whole room practically, and Put paper towels down.

Is there a chance I got lucky and wont have an issue again?
 
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