First, PROVENT A MITE, PAM for short, available from
PRO Products. Since it has to be shipped get several cans to cut down the per-can cost. BTW thanks for the note it's on sale, I'm going to order more today. It's not like the stuff goes bad, and if you ever attend an expo or get a snake from a commercial shop, chances are you'll get hit with mites again.
Second, you will want a product to treat the snake directly. I prefer Reptile Relief from Reptile Basics but the stuff from PetCo/PetSmart also works. Heck, according to my vet (SEAVS in Fairfax) adding one drop of dish soap to your snake's bath water will help kill the little bastiges off temporarily, but you shouldn't do it more than once a week. He also said if you use Reptile Relief or any of the other "spray on" products, it's better to dampen a paper towel and wipe down the snake by hand. You'll get a more even coating, stress the snake less, and no worries about getting any of the product into the eyes or heat pits when you treat under the snake's chin or the top of its head. Make sure to wipe the crease under the head and the vent area several times as mites really like to hit those areas.
So, once you have the PAM and spray-on product, here's what you do.
USE PAM AS DIRECTED. DO NOT SPRAY IT DIRECTLY ON YOUR SNAKES OR TREAT THEIR WATER DISHES WITH IT. You have 3 snakes. Get 3 plastic tubs or snake bags to secure them while you treat their enclosures. Treat the plastic tubs or snake bags as directed with PAM and let them dry completely. I prefer to take stuff outside when treating with PAM.
Once the tubs or bags are dry, remove each snake and wipe it down with the product designed to be applied directly to them. You will see the mites come off on the damp paper towel. I go through several paper towels and keep wiping until I don't see any more mites. This process isn't bad with a ball python, try it with an active 10' boa sometime...
Put the treated snake into the PAM-treated tub or snake bag. Repeat with your other two snakes. Put them someplace where they will be comfortable for a while.
Now the enclosures: remove the water bowls. I run them through the dishwasher because I have plenty of clean spares available.
Remove the hides and tank decorations . If you have wooden hides, bake them in an oven at 185*F for at least 20 minutes, then allow them to cool. Don't bake higher than 212*F (boiling point) because if there is any water in them the water expands and they will crack or explode (ask me how I know...). Anything plastic can be soaked in soapy water and then rinsed very, very well.
Take the enclosures outside. You can either throw away the substrate or treat it. Personally I toss it and use white paper towels treated with PAM to line the enclosures for the next month, but I really hate mites and they are very easy to see on the paper towels. Spray PAM in the enclosures, with or without substrate, and cover them so the stuff settles in the enclosure and doesn't blow away. Once the mist has settled uncover the enclosures and allow to completely dry.
Rinse the tank decorations and hides very well, dry them, and take them outside and treat them with PAM. Treat the wooden hides with PAM once they've cooled off. If you're using paper towels as substrate, treat enough to line your enclosures.
Once everything treated with PAM has completely dried, bring everything back inside. Set up your enclosures (if you change substrate to paper towels from aspen or cypress you may need to adjust your thermostat to compensate), put in the new, clean water bowls and fresh water, and put your snakes back in their tanks.
If using paper towels to line the enclosures, for the next month treat them with PAM and allow them to dry before using them.
Can you tell I've BTDT?
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hopefully my babies will soon be mite free!
