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deleted
85 Posts |
 Posted - 23/11/2010 : 19:09:24
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| I was going in to feed Aries last night and I noticed on the front of the glass of her enclosure, some extremely small life forms. They are very tiny and white. maybe as small as the tip of a sharpened pencil. I read that mites are brown or black but they are neither. I looked very closely at Aries while handling her and there were no black or brown spots on her scales or on her belly. Could these things I'm seeing be ''baby'' mites? I had no idea that we were supossed to microwave our substrate before using it so I haven't up to this point. Suggestions please on what this is and possible early treatment. |
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rachiepotatoe
Hatchling
United Kingdom
393 Posts |
Posted - 23/11/2010 : 19:43:33
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Are they definately living? like can you see them moving?
I'd suggest a full clean out, bathing your snake can reveal mites if it has any, because I think they float on the water (That's what I got told anyway)
As for the microwaving substrate, I've never heard that. What substrate do you use? |
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Sta~ple
qeeun speler
United Kingdom
6129 Posts |
Posted - 23/11/2010 : 20:22:15
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| How recently was the substrate put in and has anything new been added to the viv? |
   
A very special super, duper thanks for K :3 |
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NatashaK
Egg
United Kingdom
95 Posts |
Posted - 23/11/2010 : 20:45:27
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Im in the process of getting rid of mites at the moment, when Alice shed his skin my boyfriend put the skin in a freezer bag so i could take it to work the next day (dont ask why), anyway when i looked at the bag i saw black mites and there was also tiny little white/clear bugs like you described... So i definately think they must be linked. Dont do what i did and and panic... Just clear everything out of your faun/viv, and give it a really good clean. In the meantime give Aries a bath so you can ensure that any mites (if any) come off into the water. You'll need to get a mite treatment (theres loads of different suggestions on this forum). After you've treated the faun/viv its best not to put any plants or hides etc in. Just put some paper towels in at the bottom with some loo roll tubes for hides, they need to be disposable as you'll need to clean at least once a week, obviously youll need to put his water in too. After a few weeks of treatment the mites should be gone... and when your happy theyre gone make sure whatever you put in there after has been microwaved/cleaned properly :)
I thought it was going to be a much bigger deal than it is but i think you have caught it early like i did so it shouldnt be a problem.
You never know i might be totally wrong and they could just be harmless little things. I'd do a clean though just to be sure :)
Tash |
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n/a
deleted
85 Posts |
Posted - 23/11/2010 : 22:24:25
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quote:
Originally posted by rachiepotatoe
Are they definately living? like can you see them moving?
I'd suggest a full clean out, bathing your snake can reveal mites if it has any, because I think they float on the water (That's what I got told anyway)
As for the microwaving substrate, I've never heard that. What substrate do you use?
They are definitely living. If I stare closely enough I can see them moving however slight it may be. I believe I read something about microwaving substrate in one of the mite stickies. Also after taking notice to the things on the glass I took out the water dish and could see these tiny things floating ontop of the water. I'm starting to lean toward mites now. |
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n/a
deleted
85 Posts |
Posted - 23/11/2010 : 22:26:38
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quote:
Originally posted by Sta~ple
How recently was the substrate put in and has anything new been added to the viv?
I've had the same bag of Aspen substrate since I bought Aries back in September. The only new thing I added was some driftwood and some false plants. The driftwood I baked in the oven at 350 farenhiet for an hour but did not do anything for the false plants. |
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n/a
deleted
85 Posts |
Posted - 23/11/2010 : 22:32:28
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quote:
Originally posted by NatashaK
In the meantime give Aries a bath so you can ensure that any mites (if any) come off into the water. You'll need to get a mite treatment (theres loads of different suggestions on this forum). After you've treated the faun/viv its best not to put any plants or hides etc in. Just put some paper towels in at the bottom with some loo roll tubes for hides, they need to be disposable as you'll need to clean at least once a week, obviously youll need to put his water in too. After a few weeks of treatment the mites should be gone... and when your happy theyre gone make sure whatever you put in there after has been microwaved/cleaned properly :)
Tash
How do you propose giving the snake a bath? I've never done this. Sounds simple but would rather be told how to so I know I do it correctly. Do you use a sink or bathtub? Submerge the body not the head? Thanks  I'll start treating for the mites soon hopefully. Unless home chemicals will work like multipurpose cleaners or disinfectants. |
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NatashaK
Egg
United Kingdom
95 Posts |
Posted - 23/11/2010 : 22:39:42
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Don't use home chemicals, they can be really harmful to your snake, they're way too strong!!! Safest is to get something made just for reptile mites, I'm using callington, it's expensive but seems to be working,
As for the bath, I used a little Plastic box and filled it with about 1cm of warm water 26degrees. I then put my snake in, he was very wriggly so I held him as he was swimming around. After 5 minutes I took him out and let him dry himself crawling through a towel. You'll see the mites in the water after you bath him or on the towel. And that's about it really. :) |
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n/a
deleted
85 Posts |
Posted - 23/11/2010 : 23:02:22
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quote:
Originally posted by NatashaK
Don't use home chemicals, they can be really harmful to your snake, they're way too strong!!! Safest is to get something made just for reptile mites, I'm using callington, it's expensive but seems to be working,
As for the bath, I used a little Plastic box and filled it with about 1cm of warm water 26degrees. I then put my snake in, he was very wriggly so I held him as he was swimming around. After 5 minutes I took him out and let him dry himself crawling through a towel. You'll see the mites in the water after you bath him or on the towel. And that's about it really. :)
Great! Thanks.  |
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NatashaK
Egg
United Kingdom
95 Posts |
Posted - 23/11/2010 : 23:06:37
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| No worries :) let us know how things go!! |
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Sta~ple
qeeun speler
United Kingdom
6129 Posts |
Posted - 23/11/2010 : 23:28:32
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It could be some wood eating bug or a pest of the garden variety that likes wood, if you have some a viv clean recently. If not then probably not substrate bugs specially if you haven't seen any black ones yet. They could have gotten into the bag between cleans. They will be looking some somewhere nice.
Maybe do a viv clean and put on tissue paper. That way you will know if it is something in the substrate or actually mites. You could also get some of the substrate and put it in a box with a water bowel and somewhere a bit warm and see if you can see anything in there after a few days. If you handle your snake and they are snake mites then it will be all over the snake, if the bugs are in the water (they like the damp) and you haven't noticed snake bathing they could be substrate ones. A bath as suggested might show up any black ones from hiding.
Although it is probably good if in doubt, treat them like snake mites. Keep us up to date if you seen any black ones. Have you been to a reptile shop recently? Or handled someone else's snake?
Edit: Do they look like springtails? Maybe kinda hard to see cause they are so small but snake mites have a different body shape to substrate buggies! |
A very special super, duper thanks for K :3 |
Edited by - Sta~ple on 23/11/2010 23:33:25 |
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n/a
deleted
85 Posts |
Posted - 24/11/2010 : 01:31:57
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quote:
Originally posted by Sta~ple
It could be some wood eating bug or a pest of the garden variety that likes wood, if you have some a viv clean recently. If not then probably not substrate bugs specially if you haven't seen any black ones yet. They could have gotten into the bag between cleans. They will be looking some somewhere nice.
Maybe do a viv clean and put on tissue paper. That way you will know if it is something in the substrate or actually mites. You could also get some of the substrate and put it in a box with a water bowel and somewhere a bit warm and see if you can see anything in there after a few days. If you handle your snake and they are snake mites then it will be all over the snake, if the bugs are in the water (they like the damp) and you haven't noticed snake bathing they could be substrate ones. A bath as suggested might show up any black ones from hiding.
Although it is probably good if in doubt, treat them like snake mites. Keep us up to date if you seen any black ones. Have you been to a reptile shop recently? Or handled someone else's snake?
Edit: Do they look like springtails? Maybe kinda hard to see cause they are so small but snake mites have a different body shape to substrate buggies!
Awesome advice. Just a question what does a substrate bug look like? I've seen the pic's of the snake mites on the sticky and they don't look like that. Wished I could show you a pic but I think I need a magnifying glass or a telescope to get a really good pic of them. They are seriously XTRA small. Haven't handled anyone's reptile but I do go to the shop every five or six days to get Aries her mousie.
When I do clean out the viv, should I put Aries in another place? I don't have another viv so she would have to stay in a tuperware (large) set if so. |
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Sta~ple
qeeun speler
United Kingdom
6129 Posts |
Posted - 24/11/2010 : 07:10:35
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You'll have to use the devil google! It's more common than you think.I used to sometimes have them in sawdust for my rabbits if it got a bit damp left in the garage. It could be any range of mood eating bugs, the common ones are spring tails though.
Very good picture of spring tails at bottom with mites (I can only see one though) http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/spiders-inverts/357463-plz-help-3.html
There was a spring tail and snake mite comparison photo's but I can't find it :( spring tails have longer bodies that's the only way I can describe it. Still if your not sure treat like mites.
Easier to clean them when they are in another box :) |
A very special super, duper thanks for K :3 |
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Do I have mites?
