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hillzi
The Lost boy.
United Kingdom
3984 Posts |
 Posted - 17/01/2010 : 21:39:55
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Ok, to stress me out even more, guess what's come invading Blitz' viv?
BLOODY MITES!!  
I'm determined to kill these little sod's once and for all, and I aint gonna let what's going on get me down. 
Blitz has got kitchen roll sheets on viv floor and shredded roll for hiding in and his waterbowl, I found little black/brown specs in there yet there was nothing on him I checked round his eyes, belly, and cloaca. nothing.
In a bath of parazone bleach is his plants, hides, and log. I really hope it doesn't spread... which will left overnight in the tub.
being in my situation, and £18 in the paypal, what can I do? I am willing to do ANYTHING to kill these little sods, what other methods and how to do are there?
thanks guys. |
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SexyBear77
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3796 Posts |
Posted - 17/01/2010 : 21:52:23
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| Olive oil baths help, the mites suffocate. Put him in a tub of warm water (check the temps) with a good slosh of oil, and leave him to soak for bout 10-15 mins. Diego has mites again, what a nightmare they are! |
9.11 Cornsnakes
1.1 Hogg island boas
1.0 Dwarf Burmese python
Location: Watford
Website- http://rassnakes.yolasite.com/ |
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hillzi
The Lost boy.
United Kingdom
3984 Posts |
Posted - 17/01/2010 : 21:56:11
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what if he swallows anyway, will he be alright?
viv and blitz are getting a good ol' rub down! |
Edited by - hillzi on 17/01/2010 21:56:45 |
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SexyBear77
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3796 Posts |
Posted - 17/01/2010 : 21:57:44
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| I am sure its fine if he swallows a bit, not toxic. |
9.11 Cornsnakes
1.1 Hogg island boas
1.0 Dwarf Burmese python
Location: Watford
Website- http://rassnakes.yolasite.com/ |
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hillzi
The Lost boy.
United Kingdom
3984 Posts |
Posted - 17/01/2010 : 22:03:29
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lovely sb thanks a load!
whats these mites that go in and eat the snake mites then they die off, you used them? |
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SexyBear77
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3796 Posts |
Posted - 17/01/2010 : 22:10:20
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no, not used those, there is a good sticky on it over on the royal forum.
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9.11 Cornsnakes
1.1 Hogg island boas
1.0 Dwarf Burmese python
Location: Watford
Website- http://rassnakes.yolasite.com/ |
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gingerpony
Queen Bee
United Kingdom
10455 Posts |
Posted - 17/01/2010 : 22:39:02
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quote:
Originally posted by hillzi
whats these mites that go in and eat the snake mites then they die off, you used them?
they're called hypoaspis mites, some people swear by them but i've not personally used them....and where the h*ll do you get them from?? think i remember a thread on the dark side........ |
cornsnakes, ratsnakes, bullsnakes, boas and day geckos
Location:Leeds/York/Selby area |
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DannyBrown91
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3070 Posts |
Posted - 17/01/2010 : 22:54:02
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| Are mites common? |
0.0.1 Ghost Corn - Casper
0.0.1 Diffused Corn - Reggie
0.0.1 Amel Corn - Candy A.K.A Baby
1.0 Commom BCI - Rocky
0.1 Japanese Akita - Sasha
Location: Liverpool |
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gingerpony
Queen Bee
United Kingdom
10455 Posts |
Posted - 17/01/2010 : 22:57:39
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common as in if you've had them in your collection once then yes they're likely to occur again..........
i suppose they're likely to be the most common parasite............
but as a percentage of keepers that have had a problem with them, i'm not sure hun |
cornsnakes, ratsnakes, bullsnakes, boas and day geckos
Location:Leeds/York/Selby area |
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Rik
Hatchling
United Kingdom
135 Posts |
Posted - 18/01/2010 : 01:01:30
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| what causes them? Khan had little black spec's all over his tub in the pet shop and i thought mites. Nothing since so curious. |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 18/01/2010 : 04:02:39
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I am so sorry Hillzi  ...Are you sure what you saw in his viv are mites? Do you know where Blitz got them from? As far as I know they dont just 'appear'!!
Kellog had mites, so I can only talk from my own experience. But it did work and didnt cost us anything. It does take time, but it is very necessary.
We discovered he had mites a few days after we came back from holiday. He had been 'kenneled' at a reptile shop we use and must have caught them there - although none of their other snakes showed signs of them. We were lucky because he went blue while we were away and it was just before he started to shed that my son noticed and asked what all the little black spots were running all over him! He then started shedding and it was manic...he was literally trying to tear his skin off . Think up until then, because he was going into shed, he hadnt felt them properly and had shown no change in behaviour or anything.
My OH acted quickly and immediately got him out and into water to help rid him of the rest of his shed. We then bathed him again and ran him through damp kitchen roll in our hands and then dry kitchen roll. This way you can then look at the kitchen roll for black spots (mites) and red spots (blood). We totally emptied the viv, threw out the substrate, disinfected everything (as you have) and then put viv back together with only his hide and water bowl, on kitchen roll not substrate (again allowing you to check for mites and blood). I think that mites can stay alive on substrate for a period but cannot on kitchen roll, but am not sure about this so please someone correct me if I am wrong.
When you bath them you need to make sure the bath is clean, with no residue of shampoo or soap in it, and that the temp is approx 25oC, so feels just cool of lukewarm...if that makes sense.
We changed the kitchen roll in his viv daily and bathed him every couple of days. The problem is the eggs they lay, you have to wait until they hatch and then catch them before they can lay any more. The whole process took 6 weeks before we were happy that he was mite free. I think we could have probably returned his viv to normal a week or so before that but it is better to be 100% sure. When we did return his viv to normal we made sure we had baked any wood that had previously been in there and again disinfected everything else. You already know that you must wait a while before returning your snake to the viv after disinfecting it to allow the fumes to disperse.
We continued to offer Kellog food during this period and he ate as normal. We did not handle him though, except for when it was bath time.
We did try the oil in the bath, but all it did was make the bath slimy, Kellog slimy and my OH slimy! Dont think it actually helped much at all. I know you can use chemical treatments for it but we wanted to use that as a last resort.
What is vital at the moment is hygiene....especially when you are handling Blaze. Make sure you wash your hands before you handle each snake or anything to do with each snake after handling the first.
I hope this is of some help. It was hard work but it got rid of them in the end and was worth it. I still remember him trying to tear his skin off and it was horrific .
quote:
Originally posted by Rik
what causes them? Khan had little black spec's all over his tub in the pet shop and i thought mites. Nothing since so curious.
As far as I know Rik nothing can cause mites, it is a case of them being caught...passed from one snake to another. So if you have put your snake in 'kennels' (as with Kellog) there is the risk...if you buy a new snake and havent checked for mites then they can pass from the new snake to your old if you are not careful with hygiene.
The black specks all over Khan's tub was probably just dirt I am afraid...which is actually good cos the last thing you would have wanted was to deal with mites. You have had him long enough that I would have thought if it was mites you would have known about it now.
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lee2308
The Corn Snake Moderator
United Kingdom
3348 Posts |
Posted - 18/01/2010 : 12:37:23
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| you need to bin the plants ect as they lay eggs in the smallest gap or you will just keep geting them |
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n/a
deleted
876 Posts |
Posted - 18/01/2010 : 15:53:59
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Im pretty sure that Ive read on here that they can also turn up in your substrate if you use Aspen or others etc- so with that fear in my heart when I did a big clean/strip/complete change of substrate I found a thread here that says to cook it in the oven (and let it cool) before putting in the new substrate- so I cooked the Aspen in the oven- did get a few raised eyebrows though!!
xXx |
Slinky-Tallulah-Fairy-Bell
"My Heart has joined The Thousand for my friend stopped running today" |
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hillzi
The Lost boy.
United Kingdom
3984 Posts |
Posted - 18/01/2010 : 17:33:16
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Good-ish news...
He HASN'T got mites. I just saw black/brown specs in his waterbowl BUT i've found out what it is.. you will never beleive.
there is NO black dots on his, his eyes haven't changed condition, he hasn't shed, and theres none in his cloaca. I had him checked up by the vet, nothing.
I also looked in the viv, no blood or black dots on the kitchen roll.
and I checked above his waterbowl in the viv... He'd left me a well aimed. How?! present on the roof of his viv!!! cheeky git!!
But I'm SOOOO releived it's not mites. I couldn't sleep without worrying about the poor sod.
Well i guess having snake poop on the roof of his viv is better than mites, wierd things these snakes are.
but never fear... I'll be back..  |
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n/a
deleted
378 Posts |
Posted - 18/01/2010 : 18:05:16
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| Glad its sorted. How funny is that though! |
0.1.0 Anery corn- LegLess
1.0.0 Carolina corn- NoFeet
1.0.0 Syrian hamster- Jabba
0.2.0 Albino ferrets- Mable & Sue
1.0.0 Cat- Ned |
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n/a
deleted
480 Posts |
Posted - 18/01/2010 : 19:04:54
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| bless him!!! glad he is ok though. |
1.0.0 Amel, Steve
WISH LIST: blue tongue skink. |
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hillzi
The Lost boy.
United Kingdom
3984 Posts |
Posted - 18/01/2010 : 19:44:10
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yeah I am too, i thought the 'drip drip drip' was my tap!!  |
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HannahB
The Corn Snake Moderator
United Kingdom
5491 Posts |
Posted - 18/01/2010 : 20:20:37
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oh tom that is gross
but really glad its not mites - must be a relief |
2.0 Normal Royal Pythons - Q and Little One
1.0 Chihauhaun Mountain Kingsnake - Simba
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 19/01/2010 : 06:58:17
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Must admit I am not too surprised Tom, as couldnt work out how Blitz could have got mites from no-where!!
Am so relieved for you and for him!
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hillzi
The Lost boy.
United Kingdom
3984 Posts |
Posted - 19/01/2010 : 07:22:36
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Yeah! I took him the vet, so he said blitz was clear, check in the vivarium over the waterbowl, and there was the majestic present.
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n/a
deleted
893 Posts |
Posted - 19/01/2010 : 09:56:31
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quote:
Originally posted by hillzi
Yeah! I took him the vet, so he said blitz was clear, check in the vivarium over the waterbowl, and there was the majestic present.
Hahahaha!!! 
Hillzi, this is the funniest thread I've read in ANY forum anywhere on the internet, for quite a while!
Anyway, glad to see all is well and thanks for the accidental tip re where to ALSO spot check!
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a reason to come back, beleive me, it aint good
