hi all.

i was handling my snake last week for the first time since i'd been away for a while and noticed some tiny black things crawling on my hands. after research, i noticed these were obviously mites, and have since noticed plenty more.

i only have the 1 snake in the 1 viv. upon further research, it looks like they probably came from a bad batch of wood that i had inside the viv. so now im looking for the best way to get rid of these bastards.

my dad is literally in town now buying some anti-spray or something. anybody else have any tips? i can see the mites roaming around various places of the viv, and lots of eggs in bits of bark.

thanks

Clean out viv, dry it
Give snake a bath to remove as many mites as possible. Dry snake.
Put snake and all viv stuff (bar water bowl) back in,
Spray viv as per can instructions (4-5 secs usually),
Put water back in after 24 hours
Repeat procedure 7 days later to break mite life cycle.

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excellent, thanks

I have a spray called ardap, it was designed for birds but works brilliantly on reptiles too

Basically remove everything, spray, close viv and leave for about 5-10 minutes(upto you how long really), then open and let fumes escape(doesn't have to be totally as long as viv is well ventilated), then put down the basics, newspaper, water and hide(don't let ardap get into the water) and add the reptile ardap works for 6 weeks at a time

If you're still interested I have found Olive oil to be effective also. My cornsnake had mites a while back after they were brought in on aspen substrate from a local reptile shop

A few drops of olive oil in a sink of warm water. Swish the water about so the oil mixes into the water a little and pour the water over the snake. Rub the oily water into the snake and you should see the mites dropping off as they drown in the oil. I have never had another mite since and that was over 6 months ago. Chemical free, cheap and effective.

Another option is giving the snake a bath with a tiny drop of washing up liquid, only a small amount. A very cheap and easy way of getting rid of mites. Keep the snake on newspaper and u should be able to see if u still have mites.