OzReps

Eradication of Snake mites

 

Once you confirm you have snake mites, you need to follow a strict plan for the next 30 days to ensure full eradication.
Ensure you read about the snake mite life cycle to understand the measures described below.

Remove each snake into a 50 litre plastic storage container (this will easily contain an 8ft Bredli) or a smaller container for smaller snakes.

Half fill the tub with warm water (if possible), and secure the lid, add the snake, leave them in plain water for 5 minutes, this will let them have a drink if they wish and then add 3 Milton sterilising tablets these will kill the mites and not hurt the snake. (The Milton tablets are available from chemists and are cheap).

I used 1 snake to 1 tub.

Let the snakes soak for 2 hours; ensure they swim around getting their head submerged a few times. They will not drown and will most likely just rest their heads out of the water against a corner.

While the snakes are soaking (keep checking on them) empty the entire contents of all enclosures, if you have a reptile room, clear all the enclosures in that room, remove and treat the lizards, as snake mites will also affect lizards.

All cage furnishings should be soaked in water and bleach (30:1), I usually leave them overnight.

Clean the enclosures using the bleach/water mixture, wipe the cage down after 30 minutes with plain water.

After  the enclosure dries, open them up and set of a Mortein Flea Bomb, the room should be air tight and be left for at least 2 hours. Turn off all electrics/power in that room to avoid a spark and explosion.
If only a couple of enclosures are affected, fog the enclosures with Top of Descent or Mac Mite spray instead of the flea bomb.

Let the enclosures air overnight; do not wipe the enclosure down.
I use a fan to circulate the air in the room/enclosures.

After 24hrs, the cleaned furnishings can be returned (these should be soaked and thoroughly rinsed and dried).

Return the animal, use newspaper as a substrate for the next 30 days.

At 7 days, 14 days, 21 days and 28 days, I spray the enclosure with Mac Mite spray or Top of Descent, these two insecticides work differently:

Mac Mite spray – do not spray directly on your animal, it is recommended to remove the animal and water bowl when spraying.

Tope of Descent – You can spray this with your animal in the enclosure, remove the water bowl. for 24 hours after fogging.

When spraying (Fogging) the enclosure, the spray should resemble a light fog (Top of Decent - hold spray for  second only with animal in the enclosure). Leave the enclosures closed for 2 hours and then open for 2 hours.The animal can be returned after 4 hours.

Do not spray Mac Mite spray with the animal in the enclosure.
The water bowl can be returned after 24 hours.

Also, spray completely around the base of the enclosure(s) to keep stray mites at bay.

This “fogging should be repeated every 7 days for 30 days to ensure the lifecycle of the mite is broken.

If your animal has puffy eyes, this is a result of the mites biting the soft tissue around the eye, once the mites are dealt with, the puffy eyes will disappear at the next shed.

I followed this regime recently and all mites have been completely eradicated, I still spray the base of the enclosures once a month.

This is advice only, care should and precautions should be taken when using chemicals around animals.

This is a recount of my personal experience and no responsibility is taken for any information in this sheet that is used by other parties.

 

Created by Marty Bodsworth