snake mite

[Matty01]

ive been reading recently on the net (googled) about how to controll snake mite, im currently using TOD and scrubbing out the enclosure with an antiseptic gel to control them, ive read that you can use FRONTLINE the flea treatment for cats/dogs in a 50% water solution and apply this to your snake by putting the diluted frontline on a cloth and wiping it over your snake?? can anyone tell me if they have ever used this method?, was it succesfull or not? would you or wouldnt you recommend it? many thanks.
ps i purchased this snake approximatly 3 weeks ago from a very large and reputable shop/supplier, and they have just appeared from out the blue.
cheers Matt

[Sdaji]

Every large shop/supplier which sells animals which they don't produce themselves is a brilliant place to get mites from, that's just the nature of reptiles and mites unfortunately. I used to use dog flea/tick wash as a mite preventative on all incoming reptiles, these days I use Top of Descent. I never had any of the flea/tick wash animals have mites, but then again, it is highly likely that none of them ever had mites to start with, I wouldn't bring a reptile home from a pet shop if you paid me a few grand! I've seen a few tick ridden snakes (legally collected from the wild) washed in flea/tick wash and the ticks were all killed. The last time I had mites get out in my collection (almost ten years ago) I tried the dog wash on mite infested Blue-tongued Skinks, it was quite effective in getting rid of the mites from the lizards, but I couldn't use it to completely eliminate them from the enclosures and after several attempts I switched to pest strips (very popular at the time) which were very effective. Pest stips are now banned because they caused too many people to get cancer! If I had another outbreak now (touch wood I never will again!) I'd be using Top of Descent.

[Matty01]

yes i used pest strips as well in the"old" days, i havent had mite for years and im not impressed, i just wanted to no if anyone had used Frontline on there snakes, and if so how did it go? im using TOD i blasted the enclosure with snake in it yesterday, removed the snake today and put it in luke warm/soapy water bath while i scrubbed the cage, then reblasted the cage with TOD minuss the snake, then put the snake back in, in sevral hours from now i will replace the water bowl so it can drink, now ive done that twice, how long should i whait before re spraying with TOD, what would you recommend 3 or 4 days then a respray, i am housing it in a plastic ultimate reptile enclosure(the snake did not come from Tim) and so theres really no were for them to hide as its a complete sealed unit, ive cleaned it out thouroughly and found numerous dead mites in there, ive also put vaseline around the eye skin and lower heat pits, under the anal scale and the scales on the chin in an attempt to sufficate any mites that may hide there. any help or comments is very welcome, thatnks for your advice sdaji.
cheers Matt

[mungus]

Why use anything else than TOD.
isn't it working ????

[Sdaji]

The cat/dog wash I used to use was called "Fido's". I imagine that frontline would be similar, but if you're blasting everything with Top of Descent, I'm sure you'll have them gone in no time if you haven't already. Assuming this snake is well away from any other reptiles, I'd do the treatment weekly for four weeks (five treatments in total) and then wait and see. If you don't see another mite for a month or two (and you have excellent eye sight and are checking very, very carefully) you're probably safe, although I'd wait six months for good measure before getting too excited. If it's near others, I'd probably be in tears! Good luck!

[chuck norris]

tod should be enough.

[GSXR_Boy]

Had the same problem recently and TOD seems to be working fine (touchwood).
I also soaked the branches in boiling water and the hides etc, then when dry sprayed them with tod as well.
I gave the snakes a light mist to with no side affects ( touchwood again).
Try to use something like newspaper as a substrate for a bit till you are sure they are gone as i found the mites loved breeders choice.
Apparently (recommended by vet) you can rub vegetable oil on the snakes to drown the mite!! ( perhaps make a nice cooking smell if the snake gets to close to the light??)

[Matty01]

thanks for all the replys guys, yes ive used vaseline to sufficate any mites that might be hiding on the face, eyes, chin, heat pits, vent etc, i am using no substrate at the moment and only ever use newspaper.
cheers Matt

[Chrisreptile]

i used orange medic on a blue tongue once, its a human head lice treatment. worked really well.
you can get it from the chemist.

[snakesrule]

Orange medic can no longer be used as it is now a different formula and can be fatal to your reptiles

[Chrisreptile]

ok thanks for that.

[zeplin]

try this website

http://www.geocities.com/thearkfiles/Mites.html

[RevDaniel]

I had an outbreak of mites. After medic aid and various other products I came across T O D which I swear by now. My collection is free of any mites.

[wokka]

Can anyone produce evidence of orange medic killing reptiles or it yet another popular myth. I know they use it routinely at the Australian Reptile Park.

[Sdaji]

I've never used orange medic, but I've watched other people use it and have seen first hand reptiles dying from and killed by it.