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My Okeetee has MITES!

AnnaJack29

New member
Hello all,
Just a few questions.I took my baby out this morning and saw little black bugs crawling around on her.She was fine yesterday but today she has those bug.I called the pet store where we got her(fish and reptiles only) and they told me it was mites.Now he said for me to get 7 dust and mix it in with the beddig.Is that safe for my snake?Also feeding.I feed her Tuesday and the bulge only lasted 1 day.Is that normal or should I feed her more than 1 pinkie?
Thanks for all the help so far. :shrugs:
 
I haven't had to deal with mites yet...thank you very much...but if you just scroll down this page you'll find a thread title Mites treatments, it should be helpful.

Good Luck :)
 
AnnaJack29 said:
Also feeding.I feed her Tuesday and the bulge only lasted 1 day.Is that normal or should I feed her more than 1 pinkie?
Thanks for all the help so far. :shrugs:

Oops, missed this question. Thats hard to tell you because we don't know the size (can't see it) of the snake in question. But what's the generally size and age of the snake? Do you feed on Tuesdays only?. And how long have you been feeding it pinky's?

Basically if the pinky is 1 1/2 times of the snakes girth you are feed the right size. but you might want to move3 up to peach fuzzy or fuzzy.
 
AnnaJack29 said:
Hello all,
Just a few questions.I took my baby out this morning and saw little black bugs crawling around on her.She was fine yesterday but today she has those bug.I called the pet store where we got her(fish and reptiles only) and they told me it was mites.Now he said for me to get 7 dust and mix it in with the beddig.Is that safe for my snake?Also feeding.I feed her Tuesday and the bulge only lasted 1 day.Is that normal or should I feed her more than 1 pinkie?
Thanks for all the help so far. :shrugs:

About the mites, it's Sevin dust, not 7, and what Kathy Loves The Corn Snake Manual says to do is to literally dust your snake in a bag using the stuff. Also, make sure that before you place your snake back in his/her cage that you have removed all substrate and soak the cage and anything else in the cage in a 10% liquid chlorine and water solution to get rid of other mites and eggs hiding in the cage. Replace the bedding, and you should be fine.
 
honestly, I wouldn't use sevin dust. I have heard of a few peopl ethat have had snakes end up with RI's after a treatment of that. I had to get rid of Wood mites not too long ago, and I am sure that what I used will work on any mites.

Take a 2 gallon bucket and fill it half full of luke warm water.
Add a type of oil (olive oil, vegitable oil, etc) to the water
then dunk the snake through the layer of oil into the water then pul out
make sure that the snake it completely covered in oil and place in a container with a paper towel.

Should get rid of them pretty quick. You will also want to empty out your enclosure, throw away all the bedding, and clean everything inside with bleach. Good luck.
 
pcar said:
Take a 2 gallon bucket and fill it half full of luke warm water.
Add a type of oil (olive oil, vegitable oil, etc) to the water
then dunk the snake through the layer of oil into the water then pul out
make sure that the snake it completely covered in oil and place in a container with a paper towel.

how on earth did you discover this remedy? :eek1:
 
What is the procedure for dunking the snake? Do you just lower it in and let it swim or do you hold it completely underwater for a second?
 
de flea

personally get De Flea reptile relief kills mites and protects them. you even spray it on while your cleaning their cage and it makes a barrier from mites getting him. spray directly on the snake and it works great.
 
lLike I stated above I haven't had mitews yet but just wondering.... Is it better to take the cage outside when cleaning out for mites so that they don't spread in the house. I mean, you got them off the snake now how about the area around the cage??
 
Jack B said:
What is the procedure for dunking the snake? Do you just lower it in and let it swim or do you hold it completely underwater for a second?

First, I don't recommend it as a treatment for puppies, and second, I don't have any idea how effective it is for snakes. I don't know anything about treating snakes for mites.

The theory behind the puppy treatment is, in order for it to work, you have to plunge the puppy all the way underwater. If you only do the body, then the fleas on the nose survive, so the nose goes under too.

The oil on the way up is to coat the puppy's skin and coat so that any remaining fleas which aren't flushed off get suffocated in the layer of oil on the dog's skin. There's a variation on the theme for treating lice which involves gasoline. (I actually spent a few weeks one summer rubbing gasoline into horses' manes for lice treatment. That was weird.)

But I'm not recommending it for puppies, either using oil (the newer incarnation--olive oil plus tea tree oil) or petroleum distillates. I simply recognized the idea as an older treatment for short haired dogs.

SaulsMom
 
Here is a good recipe. It works great and it makes quite a bit. This way you can have some on-hand so you may treat any new snake that you may introduce into your collection. We purchased a snake at one of our local herp shows and she had mites. We treated her with this formula and you could literally see the mites drop off the snake. You should make sure you quarantine any new snake you purchase. Not only does it kill the mites but it kills the eggs as well. You should however completely clean out its encloser and throw away all of the substrate. Hope this helps.
Jay & PJ :cool:

Snake Mites (Ophionyssus Natricis)
Snake Mites
Mites are ectoparasites that subsist on blood. They are host-specific, which means that they only feed on one type of animal. Snake mites will not affect lizards, nor will they affect humans or other household pets like cats and dogs.

Mites can be identified as tiny black dots, much like a speck of dirt. However, unlike dirt, mites MOVE and will burst with a small red smear when squished against a hard surface (the remnants of their last meal). Mites can often be spotted crawling around a snake’s back or head area and on cage walls. For every mite you can see on your snake, there are likely dozens more that aren’t visible, that are hidden while feeding under your snake’s scales. These resilient parasites are commonly known as the "plague of snake keepers". Really, with sound treatment and quarantine practices, this shouldn’t be the case.

Snake mites have been known to transfer disease in snakes, much like mosquitoes can with humans (malaria) and with dogs (heartworm). If unchecked, mites on just one snake in one terrarium can multiply geometrically and establish themselves in an entire collection of several terrariums and dozens of snakes in a matter of a week or two. This is a problem that is unique to snakes in captivity. Wild snakes are able to keep these parasites in check through shedding their skin and leaving most mites behind. On the other hand, captive snakes are forced in close quarters with their shed skin and mites, thereby facilitation reinfestation.

Mites will eventually overrun a snake in captivity to the point that their host becomes irritated, mildly anemic and therefore lethargic. Infested snakes are often found to soak for extended periods in water in a vain effort to drown the mites on its body, only to be reinfested once it emerges. Snakes in this situation will seldom eat, or even refuse to eat altogether, due to stress and discomfort.

Why Nix?
Nix was designed to treat human head lice and their nits (eggs). The one characteristic that separates the Nix method for treating snake mites from other mite remedies is its effectiveness at killing live mites AND mite eggs. All other mite remedies to my knowledge do not destroy mite eggs. As such, I have found the Nix method to be extremely effective at eradicating serious mite infestations. I even know of a pet store manager who sells several commercially produced mite remedies, yet uses the Nix method on imported snakes arriving at his store. Another pro to using Nix is economics. Around $12 will produce 4 litres of solution – much more than the largest private collection will ever require.

There exists a popular reptile care site on the Internet that discusses the toxicity of Nix, but in the two cases cited, Nix was spread over the infested snakes in full concentration. Common sense should dictate that reptiles and amphibians coming in direct contact with any fully concentrated chemical that does not occur in their natural environment would yield deleterious, if not downright fatal, results. The use of Nix discussed below involves a diluted solution (1 part Nix to 68 parts water) that has never produced adverse reactions in any python or boa in my collection over the course of 6 years. In fact, some snakes in my collection are proactively treated every 6 months as they make appearances at semi-annual reptile shows and I am not willing to risk the chance of mites from other exhibitors making their way into my collection. Even routine treatments on these boas and pythons over the course of several years have yet to result in any negative effects.
Materials
• Spray bottle. Preferably one that has never been used, or at the very least, one that has never contained harsh chemicals and has been thoroughly rinsed.
• 56 g (59 ml) bottle of Nix. I have only ever found this one particular size of Nix, which can be sourced at most drug stores and some pharmacy sections of grocery stores for anywhere from $6-$12.
• 4L (1 Gallon) jug of distilled water. Distilled water should be used to extend the shelf life of the solution. With distilled water, the solution’s effectiveness is expected to last up to 12 months as long as the solution is stored at room temperature and in a covered box (light breaks down the active ingredient found in Nix). Although, with one treatment and sound quarantine practices, the first treatment should be all that is necessary.

Creating the Nix Solution
• Pour the Nix cream into the 4L jug of distilled water. Nix is a fairly thick cream substance, so it may take a couple minutes to transfer as much of the cream into the jug of distilled water as possible.
• Replace the cap on the jug of distilled water and shake until the Nix cream is evenly distributed throughout the water. Again, this may take a few minutes due to the thick consistency of Nix.
• Pour the Nix solution into a spray bottle.

Eradicating Snake Mites
• If snake mites are only found on one snake or only in one snake enclosure, it is wise to conclude that mites have infested ALL snakes and their enclosures that are contained within the same room. Mites may have also transferred to snakes housed in another room by "hitchhiking on your hands or clothes. Therefore, absolutely all snakes and their terrariums should be treated to ensure 100% effectiveness.
• First, remove the snake from the enclosure and place in a Rubbermaid container. Spray the snake liberally with the Nix solution. Do not avoid spraying this solution on their head, eyes and heat pits – in fact, this is where mites commonly hide so spraying the head area is essential.
• Remove all substrate from the terrarium and throw away. Do not leave the garbage bag containing this old substrate anywhere in the house.
• Spray the entire enclosure, inside and out, including all cage furniture (branches, hide boxes, water bowl, etc.) and glass viewing area. Make sure that all corners and crevices are well covered with Nix solution, as this is where mites and their eggs are often hiding. Even spray the outside back of the cage and a 2-foot perimeter around the cage on the floor. The Nix residue that forms after drying is thought to even be effective at killing mites hiding out elsewhere in the room that may attempt to re-enter the snake cage.
• Replace the substrate with paper, preferably paper towel, as it is easy to spot mites on this. It is essential to use paper until you are absolutely certain that full eradication has been accomplished. I suggest waiting 3 weeks after the last live mite is spotted before using non-paper substrate.
• Remove water bowl from cage and replace, filled with water, 24 hours later. This ensures that the Nix solution is not washed off the snake by soaking in the water bowl before the active ingredient has had a chance to destroy all mites hiding under its scales.
• Return the snake to its enclosure and spray it, the cage, furniture and paper one more time.
• When the snake defecates during treatment, remove the paper and clean the messed area as usual, but be sure to re-spray the cleaned area and new paper with Nix solution.
• Repeat in 5-7 days twice, for a total of 3 treatments. With all likelihood, the last live mite will perish within a few hours of the first treatment, but repeating treatment is good practice in case the outbreak is severe and mites are able to re-enter cages.
Preventative Maintenance
Any snake entering a collection should be quarantined for 2-3 months, ideally in a completely separate room from where other snakes are housed, but at the very least in a separate cage. It should be assumed that any new snake has mites, regardless of how well respected the previous owner or pet store is. I have personally been let down on several occasions by leading breeders in our hobby, and from personal friends. It is my experience that employing the "better safe than sorry" approach is of paramount importance in ensuring mite breakouts never occur.

Given the above assumption new acquisitions, in addition to their cage and cage furniture, should be treated with Nix solution 3 times (one full treatment every 5-7 days). Same should hold true when a snake enters your colony for a breeding loan, even if it is your own specimen that was lent out and is returning. As previously mentioned, it is also wise to treat snakes that attend shows, where other exhibitors and spectators may have mite infestations. With the large number of people that handle your animals, or even just touch the enclosure in which your snakes are housed, the chance that a mite is hitchhiking on at least one of these snake enthusiasts at the show is good. Don’t become complacent and cut corners in this area, or you may find yourself right back where you started.

Cage furniture and substrate purchased at pet stores can also serve as mite vectors and should be treated with caution. Mite-free substrate can be purchased from pet stores that do not carry reptiles, from a livestock feed stores, or from landscape centres. Newly purchased cage furniture should be sprayed liberally with Nix solution. Highly porous cage furniture (wood hide boxes, branches, etc.) should be soaked in a 10% bleach solution for a day, then rinsed thoroughly, sprayed with Nix solution, and allowed to dry for a week.
 
Last edited:
Sure Lenny, no problem! We thought the same thing and that's why we share the info; just wish we could remember where we found it. (The old pc crashed and we had it pasted on to docs too and we were able to save that much.) :rolleyes:

Thanks
PJ & Jay
 
PJCReptiles said:
Sure Lenny, no problem! We thought the same thing and that's why we share the info; just wish we could remember where we found it. (The old pc crashed and we had it pasted on to docs too and we were able to save that much.) :rolleyes:

Thanks
PJ & Jay

I know of the old pc crashing. I had the same a while back, loss everything. The list too. But copy if from here. ha ha
Well thanks..I'll add it.
Enjoy! :)
 
Jack B said:
What is the procedure for dunking the snake? Do you just lower it in and let it swim or do you hold it completely underwater for a second?


I just dropped them in and then picked them back up.
 
proventamite.jpg



Pro-Products

This stuff is killer (excuse the pun)! Just make sure you follow ALL the instructions.
 
I (or rather my snakes) had an infestation of mites a few months back. I hate putting chemicals anywhere near my babies - besides, I couldn't find any decent mite treatment here in the UK. So I got rid of the mites with good old 'elbow grease.' :) I completely washed and sterilised (boiling water) everything... bathed the snakes... stripped their tanks bare but for paper substrate, a hide and a water bowl...threw out old bedding... hoovered the room and everything round the tanks... after a few weeks of repeting that... no more mites :)

I think it helped though that I only had a minor infestation (or minor compared to some I have heard about that, put it that way.) I only ever saw ONE mite on either of my snakes. They were a real pain, and I was pulling my hair out, but don't despair. Mites are perfectly curable.

As for bathing the snakes - I would fill a tub with water, deep enough to submerge the snake's body, and lower the snake in. They'd just swim around for a while. I found it quite important to dunk the entire snake - it's a good idea to dunk the head under as well. Otherwise the mites climb upwards to avoid drowning.
 
I have never personally had to deal with mites but I asked the vet here once when I saw him. Your supposed to get luke warm water that feels warm to your elbow not your hand. Otherwise the snake may be uncomfortable because it may be too warm. You are also supposed to add a little soap. Not too much just a little bit. Don't worry about the soap harming your snake it doesn't effect them at all except for some unpleasant taste I suppose. Just soak them and wash them with your hands. Then let them slither around in a towel to dry off so they don't get cold and lose energy. Hope this helps out :). You can also use commercial mite killer which is probably available at your local pet store.
 
Provent-a-mite is the best choice IMO.

Whatever you do, AVOID ZOO-MED MITE-OFF LIKE THE PLAGUE. This stuff isn't even insecticidal. The active ingrediant is a degreasing agent using in garage floor cleaners. This stuff can apparently injure your snake, especially if is already showing inflamation and scale-raising as a result of a mite infestation.
 
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