My experience with Inclusion Body Disease (IBD)

[Montage_Morphs]

I have tested commercial reptile branded mite treatments and 99% of them did not even make a slight difference. Those were mainly exoterra ones such as mite off or mite be gone and all that jazz. Proventamite has been recommended by many large reputable breeders, and I would recommend it after how quickly it exterminated any mites in my snakes vivs. Frontline killed 99% of the mites within 24 hours. I was seeing dead mites in less than 2 hours on some snakes in fact. I have not had any more mites since I started attacking them with those chemicals more than 2 months ago.

[Pauline]

I treat all my vivs with Ardap which kills mites as soon as they hatch and lasts for 6 weeks. I also spray round the outside of vivs regularly just to be safe.

Maybe if the organisers of shows could ensure all tables were sprayed before reps were admitted it would help prevent the spread of mites and it would only take a few minutes to do.

[Gaboon]

Late 70's maybe but the hobby has sky rocketed in the last 10 -15 years. If mites inherit the pathogens then a saturation point will be inevitable. Then it wont be a case of "oh no I have mites" but a case of "oh no I have mites, and everything had IBD". This is hypothetical however. Wish I paid more attention in parasitology!

[brick]

Originally Posted by Montage_Morphs

I have tested commercial reptile branded mite treatments and 99% of them did not even make a slight difference. Those were mainly exoterra ones such as mite off or mite be gone and all that jazz. Proventamite has been recommended by many large reputable breeders, and I would recommend it after how quickly it exterminated any mites in my snakes vivs. Frontline killed 99% of the mites within 24 hours. I was seeing dead mites in less than 2 hours on some snakes in fact. I have not had any more mites since I started attacking them with those chemicals more than 2 months ago.

haha yeah i tried mite off when i first started with snakes, and what a joke that product was. I thinking it helped the mites reproduce!!!
I only had one outbreak a few years ago, and provent-a-mite solved the problem. I now use it on all tubs weekly. Basically i have about 100tubs, sitting on the shelves ready to be used when other a dirty. Every time i clean them, and put new paper in they get a slight spray.

prevention is better than cure

[oakelm]

Originally Posted by Pauline

I treat all my vivs with Ardap which kills mites as soon as they hatch and lasts for 6 weeks. I also spray round the outside of vivs regularly just to be safe.

Maybe if the organisers of shows could ensure all tables were sprayed before reps were admitted it would help prevent the spread of mites and it would only take a few minutes to do.

Hmmmm, got me thinking now about having a wipe down with a very dilute solution of something, more as a barrier than anything but guess would only make a difference if all tables were done and given time to air a little, wouldnt take much as they are all covered in the blue plastic stuff anyway at doncaster which is easy to wipe.

[Montage_Morphs]

Originally Posted by brick

really sorry to hear about your loss. I guess it something that all of us think about, ie the what ifs and buts etc etc.
Im impressed that your willing to keep the collection going, but IMO is it worth it? You said that you would be happy to start up a new collection once all yours have passed on, but this could take 20yrs in theory. Are you willing to not travel to shows, see other breeders etc etc etc.
I guess IBD is so much like AIDS is peoples mind. We all know that we are not going to catch AIDS by keeping contact with infected people etc, but it would also be in the back of your mind. Whether thats right or wrong.
I think its very impressive that you have stated what has happened, as i believe there will be many other people that try and hide this kind of stuff.
Do you think it will affect how you perceived in the hobby?

sorry if these are weird questions, but it just has my mind thinking. Sorry its 4.30am where i am.....

To me my animals are worth everything. I would only start up a new collection once all my current snakes are dead and buried. I say that now but I don't know if I could bear to go through all this again. And if I still have one or two snakes 20 years down the line I will still be enjoying this hobby.

I have never travelled to shows or anything like that anyway. I am not interested in large gatherings like that. Reptile shows do not appeal to me. Anything I have bought in the past has been from reputable breeders and well known forumites. So what does that say?

I now percieve the hobby the same way I always have. These are organic things we "collect". They WILL die at some point. When and how is a different matter. I enjoy my pets and care for them to the highest possible standard I can. I have upped my game ever since Clementine died and it is a lot of work to try and keep every snake out of contact with each other in every way possible. But if it's what I have to do then I will just get on with it.

I don't regret my descision to go public with this. By keeping quiet what kind of person does that make me? I have informed all the people who have bought snakes from me recently as well. They NEED to know. I have went public to protect other people and to raise awareness.

[Montage_Morphs]

Originally Posted by Pauline

I treat all my vivs with Ardap which kills mites as soon as they hatch and lasts for 6 weeks. I also spray round the outside of vivs regularly just to be safe.

Maybe if the organisers of shows could ensure all tables were sprayed before reps were admitted it would help prevent the spread of mites and it would only take a few minutes to do.

That is something I have never used. Have you any details on the product and where to get it from?

I think the fact is once you find something that works you stick by it don't you I would recommend front line, but I know many people that wouldn't.

[Montage_Morphs]

Originally Posted by brick

prevention is better than cure

Exactamundo...

[Pauline]

Originally Posted by Montage_Morphs

That is something I have never used. Have you any details on the product and where to get it from?

I think the fact is once you find something that works you stick by it don't you I would recommend front line, but I know many people that wouldn't.

It's available from Quiko Ardap Universal Pest Spray and Ardap 750ml, Vermin spray to name just a couple.

I have also used it on newspaper, spayed a sheet , allow to dry then cut into small pieces and put a piece in each viv as a preventative. A friend of mine who had a pet shop used to use Preventomite in the same way.

[Montage_Morphs]

Originally Posted by Pauline

It's available from Quiko Ardap Universal Pest Spray and Ardap 750ml, Vermin spray to name just a couple.

I have also used it on newspaper, spayed a sheet , allow to dry then cut into small pieces and put a piece in each viv as a preventative. A friend of mine who had a pet shop used to use Preventomite in the same way.

Thats exactly how I use proventamite. When using frontline directly onto snakes I soaked a sheet of kitchen towel and used one pump per sheet per snake and ran it the entire length of their body. The results were fantastic.