Help Mites!

zirliz · 08-22-2007, 06:38 AM

I have a Western Ribbon snake who has black shiny mites on him I'm concerned about all my other reptiles mainly the baby garter and my Boa who is now always in his water dish.
At the moment I'm treating the tank with T-rex mite inhibitor as it's all I could find on short notice, any ideas to help rid the tanks of them?
Also can my Bark and Green anoles catch them?

drache · 08-22-2007, 07:38 AM

just make sure you wash hands thoroughly in between handling reptiles
be concious of your clothing too, as mites can get on them
I've had mites in one tank for a couple of months and they haven't spread to other animals
I clean the tank completely every other day, as well as bathe and wipe down the snakes
the mites were almost gone (finding just one or two) and then we moved and I slacked off with my treatment regimen, so now they're still almost gone
there's a couple of threads on mites with more info
Mites
More about mites.
good luck

GarterGuy · 08-22-2007, 08:44 AM

I'd follow Rhea's advice and the threads she's listed should give you enough info. to help you out with your mite problem. As far as your anoles, you don't have to worry about them. The mites are specific to the snakes and won't spread onto them. I would though, give their cages a very good cleaning, as even though they don't "get" mites, their cages still might have them in it and could reinfest your other tanks if they're close to the others.

Roy

Jake Dubz · 09-21-2007, 11:33 PM

so can you accually SEE mites??? lol I think my snake MIGHT have em but i don't even kno if the things are visible with the naked eye

zooplan · 09-22-2007, 03:18 AM

you should see the mites the biggest are about 1 mm of length.
Give your snake a bath with a single drop of liquid soap and you´ll see them in the water. Cleaning and bathing are very helpful to fight the mites but you´ll have to catch them all up to the last or the story will start again.
If´you have spiders or insects in your collection you must not use any
drugs to fight the mites or may kill those too.

RZL36 · 09-22-2007, 09:49 AM

I bought a Lampropeltis getula floridana that had mites from a Hamburg show last year. Got Mite Off by Zoo Med and it solved it very quickly.

Get a big plastic container and put the snake is there for a day or two. Spray the Mite Off on the snake in the plastic container with good proportion. Then, scrub every bit of the snake's normal cage with bleach and get rid of anything that was ever in there unless it is plastic. The plastic stuff needs to be soaked it in bleach too. Let it sit for a bit, and obviously, rinse well (snakes don't like breathing in that stuff anymore than we do). I was so surprised how easy it was to kill mites with the Mite Off.

Rich

KITKAT · 09-22-2007, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jake Dubz

so can you accually SEE mites??? lol I think my snake MIGHT have em but i don't even kno if the things are visible with the naked eye

Like little black pepper flakes

RZL36 · 09-22-2007, 10:20 AM

You will normally see them near the eyes. The young are little and white, then turn to very small black bugs. As they get bigger, and normally get themselves onto the snake they head right for the eyes. It's the most penetrable area for a parasite.

I had them on a big juvie king and they seemed be irritating her horribly. Could they really do a number on small garter?

drache · 09-23-2007, 03:21 AM

yup
they could
always best to get rid of them asap

08-22-2007, 06:38 AM	#1 (permalink)
zirliz "First shed In Progress" Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 97 Country:	Help Mites! I have a Western Ribbon snake who has black shiny mites on him I'm concerned about all my other reptiles mainly the baby garter and my Boa who is now always in his water dish. At the moment I'm treating the tank with T-rex mite inhibitor as it's all I could find on short notice, any ideas to help rid the tanks of them? Also can my Bark and Green anoles catch them?

08-22-2007, 07:38 AM	#2 (permalink)
drache Ophiuchus rhea Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Brooklyn, New York Posts: 4,402 Country:	Re: Help Mites! just make sure you wash hands thoroughly in between handling reptiles be concious of your clothing too, as mites can get on them I've had mites in one tank for a couple of months and they haven't spread to other animals I clean the tank completely every other day, as well as bathe and wipe down the snakes the mites were almost gone (finding just one or two) and then we moved and I slacked off with my treatment regimen, so now they're still almost gone there's a couple of threads on mites with more info Mites More about mites. good luck __________________ rhea "Life is just one damn thing after another." Mark Twain

08-22-2007, 08:44 AM	#3 (permalink)
GarterGuy Brother Snake Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Lancaster,PA Posts: 1,356 Country:	Re: Help Mites! I'd follow Rhea's advice and the threads she's listed should give you enough info. to help you out with your mite problem. As far as your anoles, you don't have to worry about them. The mites are specific to the snakes and won't spread onto them. I would though, give their cages a very good cleaning, as even though they don't "get" mites, their cages still might have them in it and could reinfest your other tanks if they're close to the others. Roy __________________ *Roy* 1.1 T.s.pickeringi 0.1 T.s.concinnus 0.0.2 T.s.pallidulus

09-21-2007, 11:33 PM	#4 (permalink)
Jake Dubz Never shed Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 37 Country:	Re: Help Mites! so can you accually SEE mites??? lol I think my snake MIGHT have em but i don't even kno if the things are visible with the naked eye

09-22-2007, 03:18 AM	#5 (permalink)
zooplan The red side of life. Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bonn Posts: 1,126 Country:	Re: Help Mites! you should see the mites the biggest are about 1 mm of length. Give your snake a bath with a single drop of liquid soap and you´ll see them in the water. Cleaning and bathing are very helpful to fight the mites but you´ll have to catch them all up to the last or the story will start again. If´you have spiders or insects in your collection you must not use any drugs to fight the mites or may kill those too. __________________ best wishes bis bald Udo www.zooplan.net Member of the EGSA

09-22-2007, 09:49 AM	#6 (permalink)
RZL36 Subadult snake Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Shores of Jersey Posts: 331 Country:	Re: Help Mites! I bought a Lampropeltis getula floridana that had mites from a Hamburg show last year. Got Mite Off by Zoo Med and it solved it very quickly. Get a big plastic container and put the snake is there for a day or two. Spray the Mite Off on the snake in the plastic container with good proportion. Then, scrub every bit of the snake's normal cage with bleach and get rid of anything that was ever in there unless it is plastic. The plastic stuff needs to be soaked it in bleach too. Let it sit for a bit, and obviously, rinse well (snakes don't like breathing in that stuff anymore than we do). I was so surprised how easy it was to kill mites with the Mite Off. Rich

09-22-2007, 10:20 AM	#8 (permalink)
RZL36 Subadult snake Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Shores of Jersey Posts: 331 Country:	Re: Help Mites! You will normally see them near the eyes. The young are little and white, then turn to very small black bugs. As they get bigger, and normally get themselves onto the snake they head right for the eyes. It's the most penetrable area for a parasite. I had them on a big juvie king and they seemed be irritating her horribly. Could they really do a number on small garter?

09-23-2007, 03:21 AM	#9 (permalink)
drache Ophiuchus rhea Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Brooklyn, New York Posts: 4,402 Country:	Re: Help Mites! yup they could always best to get rid of them asap __________________ rhea "Life is just one damn thing after another." Mark Twain

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