Understanding & Symptoms of Snake Mites
We encourage you to respect all our volunteers(owners of pictures). Mite infestations in your entire collections are preventable. We will go over the preventatives, how they come about, treatment, and debunking old methods that don’t work. Your snake can obtain mite infestations by untreated imported reptiles, absence in quarantine with new reptiles, bringing your reptile to reptile shows, and sometimes new substrate. Mite infestation is bound to happen to every reptile hobbyist at least once. When it does, it sucks! There is a lot of misinformation about treating it, but we will solve your issues on this page!
Snake mites are also known as Ophionyssus natricis. You will know your snake has mites if you see the snake soak in its water bowl more than average and see little black dots on the snake’s skin. The mites tend to stay around the eyes, generally the face, and under their lower jaw. The symptoms of snake mite infestation are anemia, different shedding patterns, retained eye caps, dehydration, itchy skin, dermatitis, instability to thrive, the possibility of transferring blood-borne diseases, and sepsis.
Snake Mite Treatment
With all the information on the internet about snake mite treatments, your snake has a lot of potentials to be stressed out. You should first know quarantine, which would prevent your collections from getting mites when you buy a new reptile. Everyone says one month of quarantine, but to be the most effective quarantine, you should wait three months to know if your new reptile does not have mites or illness. We will go over the most effective ways to treat your snake without stressing them out with mistrials.
To start, here are the most preferred treatments:
- Sprays with Permethrin .5%, which is Provent-a-Mite. Before using the spray, you must remove your reptile from the enclosure and put it in a tub of water with a dollop of dawn soap. Spray the enclosure & put the snake back in after the spray dries. Repeat after six weeks.
- Clean the enclosure, rack, and tubs once a week with 122° water.
This list is the alternative treatments:
- Using predatory cannibal mites. Snake mite predators will eat the egg, larvae, and adults. You can buy these online.
- Ivermectin .5ml which is prescribed by a vet usually. 10mg to quart water and shake well before use. This solution can be rubbed on the reptile and liberally sprayed on the enclosure. Change the water out and avoid putting the solution in the water bowl. Do this once a week for eight weeks. Do not use on Indigo Snakes & Chelonians. Causes bad toxic reactions.
- Fipronil .29%, which is found in Frontline Spray. You can buy this solution on eBay, Amazon, and other stores. Spray on reptile and enclosure. Change the water out and avoid spraying their water bowl. Do this once every six weeks for two rounds.
- Resmethrin II Durakyl -.35% resmethrin which a vet prescribes. This can be used on the reptile and their enclosure, avoiding the water bowl.
- Permectin II 10%, which can be bought online without a vet. Dilute it to 1% with water, and you can spray it on the reptile and liberally on the enclosure. Do change their water bowl and do not put the solution in their water bowl.
- Dilute pyrethrin to .03%, which can be bought online or at PetSmart. This diluted treatment spray can be used on the snake and liberally on the enclosure. Must avoid any solution in their water bowl. (Mite and Lice Bird Spray by 8 in 1 Pet Products)
False Snake Mite Treatments
As the reptile community grows and more research is done, we learn that old methods have some issues with being ineffective or toxic. Ineffective methods can stress out your reptile, and toxic matters can cause serious side effects or death.
Methods that are too toxic for reptiles:
Chlorinated hydrocarbons (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), Organophosphates (Trichlorfon), Dichlorvos strips (No-Pest strips), Silica Gel Powder, and 5% Sevin Dust Insecticide.
Methods that are stressful and non-effective to the snake:
Olive oil rub downs, Drying out enclosures, Bleaching, Bathing, and Soaking if you only use it as a treatment and do not treat the enclosure too.