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Lice in my Ball Python's Habitat?

F

filez41

Tom
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Hey everyone,
My girlfriend and I came home to tonight to find that our 6 month old ball python had finally pooed on his own (no soaking). At first we were thrilled, until I noticed some white tiny bugs crawling in it. They look like lice. I checked the cage and they are at least under the sphagnum moss in his hide.
I cleaned the cage throughly and have my ball waiting it out in another terrarium.
I've looked around online for advice on lice, but nobody seems to have posted anything except ticks or mites which don't seem to be what he has.
If anyone can give me advice on what to do to help my poor little guy, I'd really appreciate it. Is there an over the counter type remedy, or is this a definite vet trip? Also we just bought new substrate and sphagnum moss, could they have come in with one of those?
We'll be at the show in Manchester, NH tomorrow so I'll ask around then too probably, but we'd really like to get started on fixing this problem, so any thoughts are welcomed and appreciated!
Thanks,
Tom
 
They could be mites, what color are they?

If anything, Get some Reptile Relief, or Provent a mite, and read the instructions on the bottle on how to use each.

Dont put new substrate in until you are sure there are none left. ( use paper towels or newspaper for now)

Good luck!
 
They looked white in the feces themselves, but now that we look at the bag that it is in, they seem brownish. There don't seem to be any on my ball, but should I do something to him tonight, like soak him, or should I just wait until I can get ahold of some Reptile Relief etc...?
Also, should I be worried about myself? Do they like people too? :)
Thanks for responding so quickly!
 
oh theyre IN the feces? it could be parasites... id bring the animal and the poo in a baggie to the vet then for sure. you may have to treat the animal with more than a spray if that is the case!

Definitely bring it to a vet. Let us know how everything turns out though!
 
May have been ON the feces? No way to really tell. They just seemed to be superficially crawling in the area, not burrowing into the feces.
 
It's very possible the critters hitched a ride in the new substrate you purchased.
 
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