| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| tordyjo |
Posted - 22/08/2011 : 14:42:21
A topic that i don't know that much about - I've just taken harry's water bowl out for a clean and as i always do check it over, there were small black mites/insects floating in the water, i've checked harry over and can't see anything on him, but do i treat presuming he has them or wait and see.
I've given his viv a full 'big' clean, (this was planned for today anyway) I did try and get pictures but the zoom isn't great on the camera and they were all blurry and not distinguishable, somebody elses input/advice would be great
ta muchly |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| tordyjo |
Posted - 27/08/2011 : 11:45:15
thanks mike, after checking daily since posting i haven't seen anymore, and checking him daily i haven't seen anything on him, i'm presuming that if they were mites - that i would be noticing them on him by now. Phew panic over, but i've learnt what to look out for now, thanks everyone |
| mikerichards |
Posted - 27/08/2011 : 11:01:30
Mites are quite distinct, and certainly noticeable on the snake itself, the thing with them is, if you dont catch them early on, they can be a real pain to get shot of, all you need is one female and there will be a population explosion!! one way you can check, try popping one in your fingers, if it pops black or red, then its highly likely that its a mite, if you cant pop it, then its not.
Female mites can lay 200 eggs without mating, each egg hatches as a male, the female then mates, and lays another 200 eggs, they all hatch as females, you can imagine how it goes from there!!! Its almost a perfect species survival tactic!!
Female mites are big black and bulbous, males tend to be much much smaller and brown and thin, vastly smaller.
have a look at this
http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=17706&SearchTerms=mite |
| tordyjo |
Posted - 22/08/2011 : 18:19:38
can they go off their food at all if they have mites? |
| Sta~ple |
Posted - 22/08/2011 : 16:09:00
Could be dirt from the substrate, I know my aspen has little dark specs that the snakes sometimes drag into the waterbowl. |
| tordyjo |
Posted - 22/08/2011 : 15:22:00
thanks guys, they def weren't blackfly and certainly looked like the mites in the pictures, there were about 3 in the waterdish, harry isn't soaking or anything can't see any on his body but obviously they could be too small and my eyesight isn't that great. I'll keep an eye out over the next few days in his waterbowl, if i find any more it may be treatment time |
| Auld Baldy |
Posted - 22/08/2011 : 15:08:23
Have a look at them under a lens. The chances are that they are either Springtails or some type of midge type blackfly. I had a plague of blackfly which had spread from potted house plants.
Check the forum sticky for reference pictures of mites.
The zoom on a camera is no use for insect photos, a proper macro-lens is needed. This pic had a converter lens and I just managed to get a rough picture of a springtail nymph.
A good clean out did get rid of them.
http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=18297 |
| a33272 |
Posted - 22/08/2011 : 15:03:45
if u only spotted the one an no sign of others it could simply of been a black fly. unless u start finding loads and on ya snake i wouldnt worry |
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