Mites or not??? NEED HELP!!!

[kierancj]

Hello
recently .. while/ after handleing my yr old boa.
i have had the smallest little bugs crawing on me.. only seen 5-6 each time..
so i auto thorugh f**k i got mites... i looked throughly over him could not see any..went to his viv and nothing..
Im keeping him on orchid bark as been told this best thing to use..

I Cleaned out his viv ,,boiled all his waterbowl and hide.. sprayed with '' Provent a mite''' ... brought some new orchid bark... Put him back in

Today
Again while hadleing him
the bugs apear GRRRR..
Been to shops and brought
NATURE'S REPTILE PROTECTOR.. ( IS THIS ANY GOOD????)

Soo atm he is a large tub on a towl and a big shoe box as a hide and im worried about putting him back in will he be ok in this as i know they need humidity
Does any 1 think it could be bugs in the bark?? or mites??

And does any 1 have any idea what i should do???????????????????

[wildlifewarrior]

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/snake...ne-method.html

[john09]

hi mate

they definately sound like mites to me.
the best way to treat them is boil all the vivarium contents and disinfect the viv using reptile freindly dissinfectant.

then as for the snake dont go out and waste money on chemicals that dont work, the best and most effective way is to use olive oil or frontline however this can kill if used wrongly.

simply pour a bit into your hands, pick the snake up and manipulate the snake through your hands gently rubbing in the oil.
then place in a plastic tub with newspaper and a plastic hide for 3 hours obviously with heat mat and stat. after the 3 hour peiod all the mites should be dead so place the snake in a nuke warm bath and leave for 10 minutes surpervised before pickin him up and giving him a rub down. then dry him and place him back in the clean viv.

if you see him soaking after that dont worry it will just be rinsing any excess oil and dead mites off.

[beaniebopps]

Beophar does an insect spray which I found to be very efficient when I had mites (well the snakes, not me) and theres no fiddly diluting - can be sprayed straight on to snake.

I would bath your snake - disinfect the tub they are in completely with weak bleach solution, then rinse thoroughly. Spray the tub with the mite treatment, then spray your snake too (avoid the eyes) and put them in with just a water bowl and kitchen towel. A cardboard hide would probably be ok too.

[kelboy]

And start baking your orchid bark!!! That's where I got mites from.

[l8mdv]

I've only ever used orchid bark twice and got mites from it both times, treat or use something else is my advice. Of course it's possible that your infecting source is something else but this substrate is a good candidate.

Regards,

[wazza9988]

Newspaper is the best substrate by far, its easy to get hold of, it costs nothing, and can still look good in a viv once the plants are in!!!

[serpentsupplies]

yeah change the orchid bark and keep on newspaper for a while. and use the natures protector good stuff and worht the money. personally

[fishboy]

Are they round and black or elongated and brownish? If round and black and they leave a little bloody smear if you squash them then they are mites. If brown then they are probably harmless springtails.

[candoia aspera]

Originally Posted by john09

hi mate

they definately sound like mites to me.
the best way to treat them is boil all the vivarium contents and disinfect the viv using reptile freindly dissinfectant.

then as for the snake dont go out and waste money on chemicals that dont work, the best and most effective way is to use olive oil or frontline however this can kill if used wrongly.

i use olive oil and put the snake in a tub with paper as a sub.

everything else but the snake gets a heavely diluted frontline treatment.

frontline really screws with the snakes skin for a couple of sheds, i've found.