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Scabbing?

B

BBirdP

New member
I recently had a run in with mites. I was pretty sure I'd gotten rid of them in the cage and on her, but I held her earlier and noticed stationary black dots. Could these possibly be scabs from previous bites? (2 days since treatment). I used reptile relief for treatment and today for a safety. None of the dark dots moved, budged, or fell off. No dead mites were in her water and none moving on her.

Am I just paranoid about these dots being mites, but actually just being scabs?
 
It is possible that those dots are mites that are still on her. I know for us it took several weeks to completely destroy/get rid of the mites we had this time last year on 3 of our snakes. Do you have any pictures you could post? That might help us here determine what it could be.

One thing you can do to check is to use a deli cup or small tupperware filled with warm water (just enough water to cover the snake most of the way) and let her sit for a bit. If they are mites you will find them floating in the water when you take her out.

Also, what kind of hides and substrate do you have her on while treating her for the mites? One thing I noticed when we were dealing with our infestation is that the mites were attracted to the wood hides we were using and we ended up having to toss them out in order to insure that no mite eggs were laid on them. We also switched to paper for several weeks/months until we were certain there were no more mites.

Jenn
 
After the first mite ordeal I cleaned the cage out, removing everything and trashing it. I use reptibark, but I put a new batch in there after treating the snake. I just find it a bit odd that they are mites, they seem darker and won't come off from the poison. I also find it strange that she got 4-5 of these black dots within 2 days of treatment when she had none like them previous to treatment.
 
Hmm... without seeing these spots first hand it is hard to say. Are the spots on the outside of the scales? Or are they buried between the scales? Have you just treated the snake the one time? Did you treat the reptibark before letting the snake back into the enclosure?

One thing I discovered first hand when trying to get rid of the mites we had is that they are resilient little buggers. They lay eggs everywhere - even between the scales of the snake - and not all mite treatments destroy the eggs. Repeated treatments every 3-5 days (depending on the directions of the product you are using) are needed to wipe out the infestation completely.

1) Allow the snake to soak in warm water prior to treating.
2) Use newspaper or paper towel for substrate as it provides fewer places for the mites to hide and/or lay eggs.
3) Be sure to wash anything that comes into contact with the snake thoroughly. (Hands, clothes, and anything else)
4) Treat any other snakes in the house to insure they don't spread.
and
5) Persistance - continue preventative treatments even after you think the infestation is gone. If, after about a month, you see no new signs of mites it is safe to say you have destroyed them all. I'd still recommend treating the cage as a preventative measure at least once or twice a year during the warmer months.

It can be frustrating and overwhleming, but in the end it will pay off. A lot of it depends on what you are using to get rid of the mites. The best one that I have heard of is called Prevent-A-Mite and works more effectivily then the big name brand treatments. I don't know if it is sold in stores, the one person I know who has used it religeously buys it through an on-line provider and has it shipped to her. If I can track down the name, I'll be sure to post it here for you and anyone else who might need it.

Jenn
 
I would be curious about he black spots too. Sounds like you have done a good initial treatment. People here swear by Provent-a-Mite, but when my snake had mites I was unable to find it anywhere in town and I certainly wasn't going to wait to treat until I could get a shipment. So I used Reptile Relief as well.

One thing I may suggest that I haven't heard mentioned here is mineral oil. Some people use PAM cooking spray. What I did was put some mineral oil in my hands and let the snake run through them. I then put some on a Q-Tip and applied it around the eyes and heat pits of my BP. The purpose is to suffocate the mites while being gentle to your snake. Perhaps if the dots are mites that are stuck in between the scales or something it may help to lubricate and get them off :shrugs: Worth a try anyway.

Best of luck and let us know how it comes out.

Angela
 
I concluded it almost had to be scabbing because all the dots are gone now. I have checked frequently for dead mites in the water or moving ones on her and there are no signs. I use reptile relief for her body every three days and my provent-a-mite for enclosure should be coming in the mail in a few days (1-3).
 
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