Aggghhh i got mites...
Image courtesy of Google
I havn’t really, but I thought it would be a nice idea to post up My method of ridding Mites from your snake's without using any chemicals.
I have adopted this method from the Late Steve Irwin “rest in peace mate"
This method is simple, cheap and harmless to the snake but not to the Mites.
Itenery:
1; A R.U.B. ( Really Useful Box) with a locking lid and NO HOLES where water can leak out. This must be a good enough size for your snake to move about in.
2; A teaspoon.
3; Warm Water.
4; A heat matt and stat.
5; Vegetable Oil.
Let’s say that a 50ltr Rub will suffice for the size of your snake, fill this to the depth of the thickest part of your snake, or just below its back at the thickest point.
Add about 1 teaspoon of veggie oil to the water ( a little more won’t hurt but really isn’t needed), then with your fingers Rake the oil through the water to reduce the size of the oil "blobs" and disperse it evenly across the surface of the water.
Now add your snakie, let him/her soak for about 1 hour. But don’t allow the water to get to cold, this could give him/her a nasty chill and we don’t want to do that.
So you can place the heat matt Under the R.U.B not in it with the water.
Why Veggie Oil?
Most parasitic blood sucking beasties have evolved to breathe through their Bottoms or legs. The reason for this is whilst their head parts are buried in to the unfortunate host flesh feeding on their blood, they can still breath.
By using the veggie oil, these breathing parts are blocked by the oil, thus they can’t breathe and die of suffocation.
Whilst your little Chappie/Chappet is basting you need to clean out the viv.
This is where you will need a chemical insecticide to kill the mites inside the Viv.
There are many on the market that you can get from many good Reptile/exotic pet shops.
Prevento-mite, mite-off, Ardap, Callingtons and even Front-line spray has been used in vivs to good effect.
How to clean out your viv.
Remove all substrate and cage furniture. Throw away your substrate it will be harbouring mites.
Soak and scrub all the furniture using a good disinfectant F10 is the best you could use for this.
Once it has been soaked for say 1 hour spray it with the insecticide of your choice from the reptile shop.
Vacuum out the viv and surrounding area, yes the walls and floor near the Viv and behind if you can.
Disinfect the Viv inside and out.
Let it dry.
Spray liberally inside and out of the viv and surrounding area. Yes the walls and floor aswel.
These little nasty’s can lay their eggs a fair distance away from the Animal/Viv.
Once the correct safe airing time has passed where it is safe to put your snakie back in the viv only put in a plastic type hide. NOTHING else not even the water bowl.
When you get your Snakie out from its Warm oil bath it will be like holding a eel this is good, as you can be sure every little bit of him/her has a thin layer of oil that is suffocating those nasty little Blighters. DONT wipe it off.
The following day put the water Bowl back in. You don’t want it in over the first night as your snake will soak and wash off some of the oil.
Your not finished yet though.
Unfortunately these Blood sucking beasties have a trick under their sleeves.
They HAVE laid eggs, Everywhere. "mmwaaahahaha"
These eggs can lay dormant for years, ERRRRRRR I hear you squeal.
But don’t Panic, They will hatch in around 14 days.
They only lay dormant if there is no movement near them, so once they sense your snakie moving they will hatch.
So you will have to repeat the above methods in roughly 2 weeks’ time. A good method is to repeat the steps in 7 days then another 7 days do it again then 14 days after that. For good measure you could repeat again in another 7 or 14 days, that should have eradicated the little buggers once and for all.
MITES are a part of herpetology you cannot keep Herps without getting them at least once. Don’t panic, follow these steps and you will rid the little blighters
I will add a few more bits to this but my eyes are stinging my butt is numb and my other half is throwing knives at me.
I have adopted this method from the Late Steve Irwin “rest in peace mate"
This method is simple, cheap and harmless to the snake but not to the Mites.
Itenery:
1; A R.U.B. ( Really Useful Box) with a locking lid and NO HOLES where water can leak out. This must be a good enough size for your snake to move about in.
2; A teaspoon.
3; Warm Water.
4; A heat matt and stat.
5; Vegetable Oil.
Let’s say that a 50ltr Rub will suffice for the size of your snake, fill this to the depth of the thickest part of your snake, or just below its back at the thickest point.
Add about 1 teaspoon of veggie oil to the water ( a little more won’t hurt but really isn’t needed), then with your fingers Rake the oil through the water to reduce the size of the oil "blobs" and disperse it evenly across the surface of the water.
Now add your snakie, let him/her soak for about 1 hour. But don’t allow the water to get to cold, this could give him/her a nasty chill and we don’t want to do that.
So you can place the heat matt Under the R.U.B not in it with the water.
Why Veggie Oil?
Most parasitic blood sucking beasties have evolved to breathe through their Bottoms or legs. The reason for this is whilst their head parts are buried in to the unfortunate host flesh feeding on their blood, they can still breath.
By using the veggie oil, these breathing parts are blocked by the oil, thus they can’t breathe and die of suffocation.
Whilst your little Chappie/Chappet is basting you need to clean out the viv.
This is where you will need a chemical insecticide to kill the mites inside the Viv.
There are many on the market that you can get from many good Reptile/exotic pet shops.
Prevento-mite, mite-off, Ardap, Callingtons and even Front-line spray has been used in vivs to good effect.
How to clean out your viv.
Remove all substrate and cage furniture. Throw away your substrate it will be harbouring mites.
Soak and scrub all the furniture using a good disinfectant F10 is the best you could use for this.
Once it has been soaked for say 1 hour spray it with the insecticide of your choice from the reptile shop.
Vacuum out the viv and surrounding area, yes the walls and floor near the Viv and behind if you can.
Disinfect the Viv inside and out.
Let it dry.
Spray liberally inside and out of the viv and surrounding area. Yes the walls and floor aswel.
These little nasty’s can lay their eggs a fair distance away from the Animal/Viv.
Once the correct safe airing time has passed where it is safe to put your snakie back in the viv only put in a plastic type hide. NOTHING else not even the water bowl.
When you get your Snakie out from its Warm oil bath it will be like holding a eel this is good, as you can be sure every little bit of him/her has a thin layer of oil that is suffocating those nasty little Blighters. DONT wipe it off.
The following day put the water Bowl back in. You don’t want it in over the first night as your snake will soak and wash off some of the oil.
Your not finished yet though.
Unfortunately these Blood sucking beasties have a trick under their sleeves.
They HAVE laid eggs, Everywhere. "mmwaaahahaha"
These eggs can lay dormant for years, ERRRRRRR I hear you squeal.
But don’t Panic, They will hatch in around 14 days.
They only lay dormant if there is no movement near them, so once they sense your snakie moving they will hatch.
So you will have to repeat the above methods in roughly 2 weeks’ time. A good method is to repeat the steps in 7 days then another 7 days do it again then 14 days after that. For good measure you could repeat again in another 7 or 14 days, that should have eradicated the little buggers once and for all.
MITES are a part of herpetology you cannot keep Herps without getting them at least once. Don’t panic, follow these steps and you will rid the little blighters
I will add a few more bits to this but my eyes are stinging my butt is numb and my other half is throwing knives at me.