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Screensize: 640 x 480 800 x 600 1024 x 768 1280 x 1024 UserName: Password: Format Mode: Basic  Help  Prompt  Format: Font Andale Mono Arial Arial Black Book Antiqua Century Gothic Comic Sans MS Courier New Georgia Impact Lucida Console Script MT Bold Stencil Tahoma Times New Roman Trebuchet MS Verdana   Size 1 2 3 4 5 6   Color Black Red Yellow Pink Green Orange Purple Blue Beige Brown Teal Navy Maroon LimeGreen Message: * HTML is OFF * Forum Code is ON Smilies [quote][i]Originally posted by Blackecho[/i] [br][b][u]Signs of Mites[/b][/u] Black specs in the water bowl. One of a snake's natural defences against mites is to try to drown them, so you may find them in their water bowl: [IMG]http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn249/magneticblue/P4066205.jpg[/IMG] Your snake may also become dehydrated and their skin and eye condition may deteriorate: [IMG]http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn249/magneticblue/P4066209.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn249/magneticblue/P4066210.jpg[/IMG] The most obvious sign though is obviously finding them under the scales, usually on the belly: [IMG]http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn249/magneticblue/P4066206.jpg[/IMG] [hr] [b][u]Treatment by Frontline of Snake[/u][/b] Bought from my vets, Frontline spray for cats: [IMG]http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q122/blackecho_2007/Pets/Snakes/Useful/100_0932.jpg[/IMG] Spray 2 or 3 times onto a piece of Kitchen towel and wipe the snake down a few times from neck to tail, making sure to avoid the head. Take the snake out of the viv and into a RUB, using plain white kitchen towel as substrate so that you can see any mites. Use disposable cardboard hides in the RUB and a small waterbowl, big enough to drink from, but not big enough for the snake to bathe in. Change substrate and hide regularly, every 2 to 3 days or as you see mites. Hides made from cut up cereal boxes or such like are ideal as cheap and easy to get hold of. 2 to 3 days after the Frontline application, bathe the snake in a bath (washing up bowl) as deep as the snake and at the temperature of the hot end of the viv (30-35C) with a few tablespoons of olive oil in. Give the bath a swirl to mix prior to introducing the snake. Leave the snake in for 15 - 20 mins, the oil will help suffocate the mites. Dry with kitchen towel, the snake will still be oily. Repeat this every 2 to 3 days. 2 weeks after the initial Frontline treatment, repeat application via kitchen towel to the snake. [hr] [b][u]Treatment by Frontline of Vivarium[/u][/b] When the snake has been removed from the viv (the fumes are very toxic and can take several days to dissipate - its easier to remove the snake for the entire duration) remove and dispose of all furniture that cannot be baked or sprayed with Frontline. Anything that can be baked should be done so for at least an hour at at least 160C. Other furniture (such as resin hides and water bowls) can be sprayed with frontline at the same time as the viv. Spray the viv thoroughly with Frontline on all surfaces. Place kitchen towel on the bottom of the viv so that you can check for signs of mites, close the doors to keep the fumes in and leave. Repeat this process 2 weeks later. [hr] [b][u]Returning Snake to Vivarium[/u][/b] 2 weeks after the second treatment (4 weeks in total), thoroughly check the viv and snake for mites, there should be none and the snake can be returned to the viv. If there are any signs of mites repeat the processes above for another 2 weeks. Your snake is unlikely to want to eat during this time. [/quote]   Check here to include your profile signature.