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deleted
7384 Posts |
 Posted - 13/02/2012 : 14:48:24
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Yes - I've got them!
Or rather, it's Sulah who's got them.
I've had her over three weeks now, and the minute she climbed into her water dish after her first feed, I naturally suspected the worst, but was relieved to find no ominous little specks in the water. Also, I did a lot of research about carpet pythons soaking, and a good few people said that carpets love to soak. It's what they do. AND she went blue less than a week after purchase.
So, she went on soaking from time to time, shed well, eats like a little wolf. Just lately she's liked to soak every night, then goes and perches during the day. I've been changing her water every day and still scanning it paranoidly for specks.
Then, on Saturday, I found them. One squished, leaving a brownish stain. My heart didn't exactly sink into my Uggs; rather it plummeted down to the cellar. I thought I'd reserve judgement - and a couple of bottles of Callingtons too, just in case, but this morning I saw some more, and magnified them, and it's mites all right, and they squished, leaving HER blood ...oh hell and all the rude words mods won't let me use! Poor little bugger!(It's hard to see them on her as she's got a speckledy belly.)
As we all know, mites can descend from anywhere. It's logical to think that Sulah COULD have brought a few eggs with her, but, as I've said in the past, these days you can pick up the little bleeders in the supermarket if you're very unlucky ...Well. I've been lucky for about two and a half years, and in that time I've collected 14 snakes. All in vivs with a load of fussy decor. And I definitely wouldn't win housewife of the year award (Who would WANT to lol! ) The house is tiny, cluttered, messy - and there's NO spare space to move the snakes into.
My only advantage is that Sulah's on her own in the back bedroom. Next to her viv is a spare emergency viv that I can strip out, set up with minimal hides and paper substrate, and, when the Callingtons comes tomorrow, zap that viv and move her in after 15 minutes, and then clear and zap her old viv. Of course she'll have to be deprived of her jacuzzi for 24 hours as Callingtons is safe as long as she doesn't drink any fume contaminated water.
I've been reading about olive oil baths, which look very good, but she only ate yesterday so I don't want to stress her out. However, I shall use them if needs be.
I also intend to throw all her gear in a strong binbag and zap with Ardap, and leave it in the yard and pray for frost. Well, her driftwood I'll bake, but as the egg killing and freezing trick worked for Blackskull (many thanks by the way, Blackskull for a lot of info posted re Callingtons') I'll try that. Also Ardap lasts for several weeks; if anything hatches out and emerges into the sealed bag of kit, it's not going to last long, is it? And thanks Laws for the tip about Ardap and other advice and support.
Hoping I might contain the invasion ...BUT, as we know, the little b******ds, or their eggs, travel. I realise I may have to do it for the lot of them. My impulse is to get them all out and inspect frantically for mites - BUT, I think they may stay safer in their vivs with minimal disturbance. Keeping a keen look out though.
So I'm prepared to have to treat the whole household. What fun eh?
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markmifsud
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
534 Posts |
Posted - 13/02/2012 : 16:43:55
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| oh dear, good luck with the hunt BATS |
1.1.0 Pastal Ball
1.0.0 Normal Ball aged 7(ish)
0.1.0 Normal Ball aged 7(ish)
Bromley. SE London |
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7384 Posts |
Posted - 13/02/2012 : 17:18:49
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Thanks Mark!
I'm normally pretty Buddhist in my attitude to all life forms except bluebottles, slugs and the street gossips, but atm ...DEATH to the mites!!! |
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jbarlow91
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
897 Posts |
Posted - 13/02/2012 : 17:32:48
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| Thank god u quarentined her BATS hopefully will be just her with them and they go soon after the treatment |
0.1.0 snow corn Ruby 1.0.0 ghost corn-Oreo
1.0.0 bearded dragon- kato
0.1.0 bearded dragon- keita
1.0.0 cali king-Taz
0.1.0 royal-Clio
1.0.0 yellowbelly royal- Moose
0.1.0 hognose jinxx |
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7384 Posts |
Posted - 13/02/2012 : 17:41:47
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| Thanks J - am crossing my fingers, but just hoping none of the little illegitimates (swear filter won't allow the word I'd use, never mind the word I'd PREFER lol!)have cadged a free ride round the rest of the house on me, as at some stages of life they can be airborne ...Oh well, had a good run for my money - mites are said to happen to most snake keepers at some point ...HOPE it never happens to all you lot on this forum though! |
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chrisc
Old Royal - I Post too much!
United Kingdom
3326 Posts |
Posted - 13/02/2012 : 17:56:53
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sorry to hear about the squatters, yes gas the little.........swines
would use another word but not an a family forum
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1.0.0 burmese python,giblet. 1.0.0 BCI, william. 0.1.0 blue tongue skink, 0.1.0 green iguana, jasmin, 1.0.0 cape house snake, 0.1.0 checkered garter snake
my youtube. http://www.youtube.com/user/pegrocks
incubate 2 campaign
https://www.facebook.com/incubate2 |
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blackskull
Fully Grown Royal
United Kingdom
1278 Posts |
Posted - 13/02/2012 : 17:59:10
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| hope it doesn't take you too long to get rid of them |
1.1 normal royal, sully, silver
0.1 pinstripe royal, penny
1.1 pastel royal, lars, clover
0.1 lesser royal, serenity
0.1 black pastel royal, betty
0.1 mojave royal, mavis
0.1 normal het clown
1.0 pastel het clown
1.0 nuclear, ned
1.0 super phantom
1.0 childrens python, myles
0.1 hog island boa
0.1 sonoran x boa, grace
0.0.1 mack snow leopard gecko, munchkin
4.1 cats, stan, dave, marble, binx, daisy
4.1 rabbits, mol, ted, bill, spud, alice
0.1 crazy cat/bunny lady of bridgwater, lucy |
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7384 Posts |
Posted - 13/02/2012 : 18:02:49
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| LOL - thanks guys and thanks again Blackskull for Callingtons' info - lol been using ALL the words, Chris! |
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reptilemadd
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
969 Posts |
Posted - 13/02/2012 : 18:52:18
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| Sorry to here that Bats But I'm sure you'll be on them like a limpet to a boat :) just out of interest where did you get the callingtons from? |
1.0.0 beardie "magic"
1.1.0 100% Het Clown "Cerberus" and "Artemis"
0.1.0 Poss Calico "Ariadne"
1.0.0 Lesser " Kronos"
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7384 Posts |
Posted - 13/02/2012 : 18:57:02
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Thanks RM - Surrey pet supplies, assuming this was cheapest but just wanted to secure a supply; they've emailed me to say it'll be here tomorrow.
Ardap's coming via Amazon - £12.99 for 750ml, delivery free, can't be bad. |
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jbarlow91
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
897 Posts |
Posted - 13/02/2012 : 20:06:47
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| The joys of keeping snakes hey never a dull moment |
0.1.0 snow corn Ruby 1.0.0 ghost corn-Oreo
1.0.0 bearded dragon- kato
0.1.0 bearded dragon- keita
1.0.0 cali king-Taz
0.1.0 royal-Clio
1.0.0 yellowbelly royal- Moose
0.1.0 hognose jinxx |
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7384 Posts |
Posted - 13/02/2012 : 20:13:15
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| LOL - you can say that again! |
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Lotabob
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
5008 Posts |
Posted - 13/02/2012 : 23:36:49
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| OH SH..CR...BOL....RUBBISH! Only just seen this. Not great at all, you should duly inform the supplier of Sulah that she came with guests, that person may not be aware they have a problem or at the very least offer to pay you for the treatments. Good that you have a quarantine already in place, I hope that keeps the little gits from spreading to your other lot. On the plus side you can put them on your banner until they are deceased. |
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Posted - 14/02/2012 : 10:16:46
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Lol - the little bleeders aren't getting into my banner!
Thanks, Bob, yeah I'm just waiting for the Callingtons now - can't get anything done until that arrives, although the spare viv's empty and ready and temps are ok for her. When she's once in that, I'm going to give her old viv a blast and leave it closed for an hour before I empty it - that way the horrible little gits might be contained and blasted before I go in and start getting rid of substrate etc. Wish me luck! |
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Welly
Yearling
United Kingdom
423 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2012 : 12:02:41
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| Callingtons works wonders. I'd also recommend spraying down the back of the vivs as well. This will stop them hopping out the back and get any out there already |
0.1.0 Royal Python
0.0.1 Mexican Black King
1.0.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa |
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7384 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2012 : 12:13:33
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Well, the Callingtons' arrived and I made sure all the other snakes were attended to with water/cleaning before treating this viv. The fumes are a bit strong! (Although I only needed to spray for 6 seconds.) Instructions are to allow to dry before the snake goes in, so I'll wait to put hides/paper in. Also I'm assuming that the viv should be left closed while the stuff's drying; I know the heatbulb will dry it out. If in doubt I suppose the only thing will be to give it an airing for 10 minutes before I put her in.
I've understood that you spray, and leave for 15 minutes - I'd read that the instructions on the can weren't very clear, and it's true - they're not. I think I'll leave for 15 minutes, air out/set up with paper and cardboard hides and some scrunched kitchen roll for her to snuggle up in, and close for another 5 minutes to let the temps climb again.
Then once she's tucked up, I shall blast her old viv and close it and leave that for an hour before clearing it. |
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Lotabob
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
5008 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2012 : 12:56:45
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| You might want to give her a bath while she is out as this will get any that are on her to drown and leave her mite free. |
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7384 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2012 : 13:35:59
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quote:
Originally posted by Lotabob
You might want to give her a bath while she is out as this will get any that are on her to drown and leave her mite free.
Lol - she was IN the bath (her water dish) when I went in to move her; she's been there all night - I ought to have added a few drops of olive oil to it and given her another dish to drink from, with hindsight. So I dried her off with kitchen roll - a mite fell off her on to the kitchen roll and I squidged it and put her straight into her new quarters. I didn't really want her out for long in case the things spread - once her new viv was closed I sprayed the desk in front of both vivs and fogged the old viv and closed it. Think I'll leave that till tomorrow to clear and respray and with any luck the mites in there will have been zapped (though I'll still be taking every precaution.) Now crossing my fingers that the things haven't spread throughout the house ...
What I can do in future is put a small lidded rub containing her oil bath in the viv with her, wait for it to get to the right temp, and then just stick her in that for a while.
She seems quite cheerful, exploring her new surroundings and managing to perform gymnastics on the screw eyes that were holding the branches and plants. |
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Edited by - n/a on 14/02/2012 13:37:43 |
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JanieW
Old Royal - I Post too much!
United Kingdom
2279 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2012 : 14:39:12
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| It sounds like you are beating them Bats, but when Steve found 3 mites on his arm after holding Fea, we went to the vet who gave us Frontline..we had to paint it on the snakes using cotton wool once a week. After the first treatment never saw another sign..mind I think it was a very mild case of mites :) |
Peoples Of Middle Earth:
Bert (Staffy) , named after Tolkien's stone Troll
Popeye, African Grey
Gimli (Son Of Gloin), Baby Beardie
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Hoard of Orcs (Dubia Roach Colony)
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Ra, Taiwanese Beauty Snake
Henry, Western Hognose *Missing*
Pippin, Coastal X Diamond Carpet Python
Elanor, Pastel Royal
Timmy, Western Hognose
Flake, Calico male royal, Eowyn, Arabesque Boa |
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7384 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2012 : 15:03:03
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Hi, Janey, I just hope I am beating them ... I confess it's all rather got to me today, plus the cats are down in the dumps after the new kitten arriving unexpectedly late on Saturday night. Everything's rather at sixes and sevens, but at least the Callingtons' treatment's ongoing now. I'm going to worry though until I get rid of the mites and don't see them elsewhere ...
Yes, Frontline is another good treatment and my vet's is only just round the corner and the snakes are registered with them in case of problems treatable by a non-rep vet (they're registered with a rep vet further afield.) But it was Saturday afternoon and they were closed (veterinary emergencies ALWAYS happen when the vet is closed) and I'd heard such good reports of Callingtons' that I got some ordered straight away.
Sulah doesn't seem concerned - she's made a right mess of her setup - hides slung halfway across the viv, and a small snake zooming across to me to say hello whenever I go in there. I haven't seen any more mites - and I'd see them on the white kitchen roll so looks like she and Bob were great minds thinking alike about that bath lol. |
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jbarlow91
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
897 Posts |
Posted - 14/02/2012 : 17:09:54
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| Sounds like things are looking good so far hopefully she will be without any unwelcome visitors in her viv soon :) |
0.1.0 snow corn Ruby 1.0.0 ghost corn-Oreo
1.0.0 bearded dragon- kato
0.1.0 bearded dragon- keita
1.0.0 cali king-Taz
0.1.0 royal-Clio
1.0.0 yellowbelly royal- Moose
0.1.0 hognose jinxx |
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Call for the Callingtons - plan of attack!
