I have to be a bit contradictory here.. why does everyone think mites come from mice/rats? - reptile mites are species specific, that is they feed and live on reptiles and not mammals. They may be carried in on feeders, but only if the feeders have been near reptiles who have mites, just as they can be transferred or carried in on humans, but they do not live on rodents and humans. The only time a mite will leave its host (the reptile) is to lay eggs, as it will not lay them on the host, so it is more likely the mites came in on the snake, although they can use other animals and products to "travel" as it were.

Sorry, just got a bit confused and wanted to clear that up.

__________________
"If you know everything you may as well blow your brains out because the reason for existence is to learn more everyday." - Mark O'Shea, 2004

Most likely because most everyone gets their rodents from the same store that carries reptiles. If the store has an infestation then the feeders can also have mites on them even if they are not "hosts". Granted the same thing is true of any product that comes from that store including you just walking thru it. However since the item most often being bought are the feeders people associate them with being the problem.

__________________
Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

I didn't say that the mites come from the mice or rats, just that they can be on the mice or rat that someone brings home from a reptile-mite infested pet shop. But as I mentioned, ANYTHING from that store can have mites on it (including feeder mice) but especially wood products, substrate, moss etc.

__________________
Andrea

Thank you so much everyone for your suggestions. I bought him from a very well known breeder. His place is so amazing, he has hundreds of snakes including some hots. I have since been told by a couple of people that his snakes sometimes have mites, oh well. I saw him at a show this weekend and mentioned it to him, he didn't seem too surprised and made some simple suggestions as well.

I think I am beating this with alternating bleached tanks, soaking him and rubbing olive oil on him. I burn the paper towel he is on just to be safe. I have reptile relief on order although I think the problem will be gone by the time I get it.

Thanks again everyone,

__________________
Val
www.reptilerescuerichmond.org

What is CF?

__________________
Val
www.reptilerescuerichmond.org

Sorry Andrea - I read so many posts by people who seem to suggest that mites actually come from mice and rats, but yes you are right they can be carried in on them. Apologies for the misunderstanding, didn't mean any offence.

Esbat - CF = captive farmed. Basically the gravid mother is usually WC and the babies then sold on in captivity. Because the mother is WC it is common for her to have parasites, which are then passed on to the babies. CB is safer, although it still isn't impossible for them to have parasites, but CF and WC are not beneficial to the wild populations.

It doesn't fill me with confidence that your breeder is known to have mites in his collection, and also that he was unsurprised. With larger collections, ofcourse there is an increased chance of having mites, and we have had a couple of experiences with mites, but I would be shocked if I sold a reptile and the owner came back to me and told me it had mites. We had our first mite infestation when we first bought our boa Charley. I rang the pet shop owner and he said the mites were nothing to worry about and wasn't surprised at the presence of them. That's when alarm bells rang - nothing to worry about?!- left untreated they weaken the immune system and can cause fatality! I would be cautious about using this guy again, as he should have his collection under complete control, and if I were him I would be doing my best to eradicate any mite infestation which could wipe out his entire collection! .. let me ask, does he keep boas and pythons together too?

__________________
"If you know everything you may as well blow your brains out because the reason for existence is to learn more everyday." - Mark O'Shea, 2004

Absolutely no offence taken, Rachel!

My husband, "ChondroDoc", just read a quote that said "Someone who knowingly has mites in his/her collection and doesn't treat them should be tied down in a field of tall grass infested with chiggers!"

Someone with hundreds of snakes is going to have quite some problems getting rid of a mite infestation: I've experienced the hassle of getting rid of them in a collection of 2 and that was hard enough!!!
(According to my book "Reptile Medicine and Surgery": "There is no one treatment that is both 100% effective and safe for the eradication of mites in reptiles!" It takes time. If the thought of getting rid of the mites scares you, the thought of NOT getting rid of the mites should scare you more:
The danger of mites to snakes is NOT something to be played down and your breeder should DEFINITELY have been more concerned.
As Rachel said they can weaken the immune system and worse still: a large infestation of mites can consume enough blood to cause potentially life-threatening anemia. Mites are also known carriers of Aeromonas hydrophila: a bacteria causing pneumonia and infectious stomatitis (mouth rot). And there are theories that mites can also be carriers of the boa retrovirus.

So good luck Esbat! You're neither the first nor the last that has had to deal with these miserable beasties.

__________________
Andrea

Thanks Bitis. He was CB, I had never seen CF before. His snake room is the basement of his house, Boas and Pythons are kept in the same room.

Andrea, I almost choked on my coffee when I read the quote your husband found, lol.

My guess is that the breeder might have been embarrassed, not sure and I don't want to make any excuses for him. He knows now and hopefully will take care of his collections. I could have returned him but I'm attached and couldn't do that. Funny thing is one of the people who told me he sometimes has mites in his collection, just bought a $2000 snake from him.

__________________
Val
www.reptilerescuerichmond.org

is my first experience with mites. I read on a much earlier thread that Reptile Relief is a good product to rid them. Can someone tell me who that is made by? And if there are any other remedies that work? I heard that the stuff you can buy at the drug store for lice also works.

I have had this little BP for 2 weeks, he is 6 weeks old. He started soaking last week after he ate, could mites come in on mice?

Thanks everyone,[/quote]

Hi Esban! Can u tell me what kind of symptoms did you find?

Reptile relif is made by a company called Natural Chemistry.
Do you have any reason to think the snake has mites other than the soaking?

__________________
Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!