Current Mite Treatment

Chu'Wuti · 07-20-12, 03:53 PM

We discovered last night that at least one of our BPs has mites--we participated in a youth herp camp in June, and apparently someone transferred mites from someone else's snake to mine!

Thank goodness my stepdaughter has sharp eyes, because I couldn't have seen the little critter crawling on my snake.

Anyway, I went back through all the threads regarding the use of Nix to treat snake mites and found that in one place, Mykee recommended using 1 Tbs Nix per 1 liter of water and in another place, Mykee recommended using 2 Tbs Nix per 1 liter of water. Elsewhere, he describes using a plastic Rubbermaid shoebox 1/2 full of water with 1/3 bottle of Nix mixed in.

As it has been a few years since some of that info was posted, I know that newer products/info may be available, though sometimes "tried & true" continues to be best. So I'm here to ask to make sure I use the right treatment.

Mykee, what is your current thinking on using Nix to treat mites? Anyone else? I want to be sure to do the right thing!

I'm cleaning cages and putting everyone on paper towels so I can see whether anyone besides my big male BP needs to be treated. Or should I just treat everyone "just in case"?

07-20-12, 04:02 PM

does any ball housed with the infected? or just in its own cage? you did well with cleaning his cage and stuff but i wouldn't imagine you would need to clean all the snakes but if it makes you feel better i am sure that couldn't hurt

but as long as he wasn't near other snakes i wouldn't imagine the mites would spread but i have never had that issue but it just seem to be my though idk

in the end you will do whats right whichever way that may be

mykee · 07-20-12, 04:24 PM

I stand by all my original claims regarding Nix.

**Aaron_S** · 07-20-12, 04:40 PM

I just want to say long time no chat...I offer nothing of value to this thread at this time.

Chu'Wuti · 07-20-12, 04:46 PM

Mykee, as always, you are prompt to respond--thanks!

1) I never house more than one snake in any one cage.

2) Snakes that went to the youth camp & were handled by lots of kids--three BPs, one tangerine Honduran Milksnake, one speckled kingsnake. I haven't SEEN mites on the others, but I didn't see the mite on my big BP, either, until my stepdaughter showed it to me, and even then I could barely see it. I know darned well that if there is one, there are more. After a couple of days on white paper toweling, though, I'll know better if anyone else is affected.

3) I have a plastic shoebox. Just got back from the drugstore with 2-2 oz. bottles of Nix (could only get a "family" pack!). So I guess I'll use your 1/3 bottle per half-filled shoebox instructions to begin with. Crossing my fingers that I only have to treat the one! Poor guy is not going to be happy with me . . .

Thanks again--I appreciate your knowledge and expertise and your willingness to help others greatly!

Sandy

Chu'Wuti · 07-20-12, 04:48 PM

Yeah, Aaron, I've been out of touch waaaaaay too long!!! It's nice to have life getting back to normal!

I hope both you and Mykee have been well and are enjoying life!

Cloud718, it's nice to meet you!

I'm getting lots more snake room--we've added over 1400 sq. ft. to our house. And recently, a wine chiller died, so I told my DH it is now a future incubator! Gotta find an interesting female BP to breed with my cinnamon male . . . or an interesting male to breed with my mocha female!

More soon--it's time to go torture my big BP!

**Aaron_S** · 07-20-12, 04:55 PM

I would recommend taking the water dishes and spray everyone down too. Use paper towel on everyone for the time being. Can't hurt. You may already be planning this though as I skimmed over the Nix stuff.

Otherwise, yeah it's been waaaaaaaay too long.

I would recommend an awesome pastel for the cinnamon. Pewters look cool all the time.

Chu'Wuti · 07-20-12, 05:05 PM

Some cage furniture will get tossed; anything plastic or resin will get a thorough cleaning and I'll spray with Nix.

Yeah, I was talking with a BP breeder at the herp society meeting last night about going for pewters. I may have to get a pastel indeed. I've already decided against spiders, which the former owner of the cinnamon suggested; I don't want to deal with the neurological issues.

Have to build the incubator before we get to the breeding point, though, as well as get the pastel and grow her big enough!

Live is never dull!

Chu'Wuti · 07-20-12, 05:22 PM

half a shoebox of water does not cover this guy, at least the way he's holding himself. Stubborn snake!

Wildside · 07-20-12, 10:23 PM

I've got a recipe I use for treatment and prevention. I've found it to be the very best method because it's gentle enough to be used daily but effective enough to wipe them bad boys out quick. Diligence is the key with getting rid of a mite infestation. My recipe is 1 cc of Ivomec (the cheap brand is fine) per 32 oz.water. I will also give the snake a VetRx bath to help with the shedding problems mites are capable of causing. Both of these products can be bought at almost any feed store.

**millertime89** · 07-21-12, 12:55 AM

I'm a fan of Provent-A-Mite, its expensive, but its been tested on animals and you don't have to worry about mixing it yourself and you know its safe for the snake and deadly for mites. Pull the snake and its water out, spray the enclosure and hides (be sure to get cracks and crevices), wait for it to dry (I usually wait 60 seconds) then replace the snake and the water dish and place it back in the rack. I now spray myself down before I walk into expos and if I'm going to be wearing the clothes for some time after I get back I spray myself down again. I know a few breeders how spray down their enclosures for expos in order to prevent their snakes from picking up mites at the expos and I think its a good idea for expos and demonstrations as well if your animals are going to be in somewhat close proximity to others that you have no control over quarantine and care.

Terranaut · 07-21-12, 06:17 AM

When I used Nix I dumped the entire small bottle of it into a 4L jug of distilled water. Mixed it completely and it was ready to use. I removed everything from my snakes vivs and soaked them down with the mix in a spray bottle. I also sprayed the vivs down as well. 24 hrs later I put the water dishes back in. 2 weeks later I did it all again. I found my local exotic pet shop where I was getting my food from had mites and sure as crap I brought them home and had to treat again. This time I got Provent a Mite. I used Nix on my snakes and PAM on the enclosures. Worked great.
Good luck.

mykee · 07-21-12, 07:20 AM

No worries, glad to see you back. As for treatment, assume that every snake you have has mites now, so you'll need to treat everything.
Good luck and keep us posted.