| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| sandi |
Posted - 24/02/2011 : 20:17:00
Having brought a new boa into the house and discovered that amongst other issues of neglect, he also has mites, I decided to research the treatments available. Torn between frontline and biological control using predatory mites, I went for the latter.
Roberts sticky on Hypoaspis miles, a form of mite that munches on the snake mite seemed a good way of dealing with it and i have to thank Robert for such a great post which i have just followed to the word.
Boris, (boa BCI) has just got out of his water bowl and is oblivious to the little critters on him so I'm confident that he will let them eat their way through the army of snake mites. There doesn't seem to be too many but I'm aware how fast they breed.
The tricky bit is keeping them away from Flo, so far she is fine and I'm hoping i have been strict enough with my quarantine, even to the point of washing clothing after spending time in the room where Boris is in. Never been this OCD about anything before!
So, Hopefully this will be another success for the hypoaspis.
I will let you know how things go.
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| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| sandi |
Posted - 22/03/2011 : 21:45:46
Good luck with your quarantine sticks, Hope it holds! |
| STICKS |
Posted - 22/03/2011 : 16:16:04
Hi there Sandi
When i first got sonny he had mites i bathed him,than treated him with Beaphar insect spray,and used Ardap on all the viv and wood ect,
By the time i had discoverd what was going on to late they all had them.But since then i have not seen one X.SO when i come home with Kira two weeks ago she is in Qtine upstaires for 6 months at least
she took her second feed on monday evening while hanging from the probe cable and bang strike fed all the best keep well sorry no spells. |
| sandi |
Posted - 22/03/2011 : 08:46:57
Hodgie, yes he is in a different room. The surrounding area has been treated and he is still quarantined.
Bats, keep the spells coming hun! |
| hodgie |
Posted - 21/03/2011 : 20:06:27
Have you moved your snake to a different room? |
| n/a |
Posted - 21/03/2011 : 20:03:16
Ophionyssus disparare!
Et nil carborundum!
Et disintegrat!
ABracadabra!!! |
| sandi |
Posted - 21/03/2011 : 19:58:45
Update on this...
I think some eggs have hatched as i have seen a few in his water bowl this weekend.
I had ordered the callingtons mite spray but it didnt arrive due to being out of stock. I went to my local reptile shop (who i trust) and asked if they had it, they said they had found it unsuccessful so only recommended frontline. They then recommended a good reptile vet in the bournemouth area which, as it happens, is the one recommended on this site. So, off i went.
I have now registered Florence and Boris with their new vet, who offer a first consult for free! and i have bought the frontline spray for cats.
I have now followed Blackecho's instructions on the use of frontline, which was exactly what my local chap had said. So far so good! Boris has been out for hugs tonight and seems fine. Fingers crossed that this is the last in the saga! |
| sandi |
Posted - 13/03/2011 : 20:58:39
Thanks hodgie,
Boris was a new snake to me and therefor came to my home with mites from a previous, and rather unpleasant life.
I have quarantined him from my other snake and so far this seems to be successful.
Despite my fears, I have not now seen any mites for a week, this makes me think that the hypos have been more of a success than i thought. However, I agree that the life cycle of the mite needs to be broken and i may not have given them enough time yet, so, i will be spraying with callingtons mite spray.
I have added oil to his bath and maybe this is the reason he seems to be mite free? Difficult to say, just hope at least one of these options will hold.
Fingers crossed eh?!
I am also building a new viv which should coincide with the whole cleansing process....poor Boris to go through this! but lucky boy to get a new house! |
| hodgie |
Posted - 13/03/2011 : 08:40:46
quote:
Originally posted by BurnedAtTheStake
Someone on here (sorry can't recall who it is offhand) used B&Q lining paper, which is just like unprinted newspaper - I imagine that would show up any stray little dastard ... 
Thats me £5 a roll and lasts about a year for one snake.
Sorry to hear that your still having trouble with mites.
Just want to ask, did you actually move your snake to another room when your started treatment? mites do travel away from the viv in search of other foods, plants etc. You really need to move the snake because mites will travel, i`ve heard upto 8-10 ft plus and this is the really important thing that alot of people dont realise, mite eggs like particles of dust are airborn and will be moved by a breeze with an open window.
I`d suggest,
Moving the snake upstairs/downstairs from its present position.
complete fumigation of the viv, leaving it empty for 4 weeks
put your snake in a temp home (rub)
Get some more of those Hypoaspis mites if your happy with them.
Or and this worked for me, use an oil bath, ( small plastic tub, fill 2/3rds with veg oil and put your snake in there for 20 mins, this will definately kill every mite on the snake and is perfectly harmless, no chemicals)
Good luck
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| sandi |
Posted - 13/03/2011 : 08:11:04
like nil illigitima carborundum! Thats one of my favourites! |
| n/a |
Posted - 12/03/2011 : 22:27:06
Oh well, the 'carborundum' was just a joke really, like 'sic biscuitus disintegrat' (that's the way the cookie crumbles ...)
Mites be banished forever!!! |
| sandi |
Posted - 12/03/2011 : 21:53:23
Yeah but i forgot the nil carborundum! doh! |
| n/a |
Posted - 12/03/2011 : 21:49:06
quote:
Originally posted by sandi
Bats, your spells are clearly more powerful!
LOL - it was you who said ophionyssus disparare! |
| sandi |
Posted - 12/03/2011 : 21:46:15
Bats, your spells are clearly more powerful! |
| sandi |
Posted - 12/03/2011 : 21:44:39
Robert,
I am convinced that the problem was more the demise of the hypos due to the lack of food. I dont think there were enough snake mites to feed them for long enough. I had only ever seen a few mites at any one time and i think that eggs had hatched after the last hypo had eaten its brother!
Today i had a good, long session with Boris, handling, inspecting,(him and me!) and generally getting to know each other. During this time i cleaned his viv, checking every nook and cranny. No mites were seen, not even on my hand, which is where i always find them when i pick him up. So maybe they are gone? To be sure i will be spraying the viv when the callingtons spray arrives.
I dont like the idea of chemical controls but nor do i want this to go on any longer, and i also have to consider Florence.
Robert, your info was very concise and I'm sure would have worked if i had had an infestation but i dont think the hypos had a chance with just a few mites, however i saw them engulf Boris for at least a day so I'm sure they are efficient in their work! |
| Robert |
Posted - 12/03/2011 : 19:13:56
I am so sorry to hear that you weren't successful with the hypo's sandi, if I am unfortunate enough to get another snake so infested I will write a more detailed account as both my corn and a royal treated with them have been completely clear ever since they were treated, I hope your chemical treatment is successful |
| n/a |
Posted - 11/03/2011 : 21:21:32
Also:
Nil ophionyssus carborundum!! |
| sandi |
Posted - 11/03/2011 : 21:18:37
So here goes....
Ophionyssus Narticis disparere!
Nah! think their education must be lacking too!!! |
| n/a |
Posted - 11/03/2011 : 11:05:50
Lol!
You know, there's an old folk remedy for pests ... you simply request them to leave ... and they go.
I find it works with wasps, though not with bluebottles, grr!
This isn't just in my imagination - the writer Josephine Saxton says the same. She also advocates posting notices, although this didn't work with her slugs and snails, probably because, as she says, molluscs are accustomed to reading plant labels to see what's on the menu, and can only read in Latin ...
Good luck with the mite zapping!! |
| sandi |
Posted - 11/03/2011 : 08:24:22
I thought you MITE say that!!! |
| n/a |
Posted - 10/03/2011 : 20:42:20
Isn't that a MITE sadistic lol?
Not!! |
