ben_biscy a.k.a. jason cogan

hi, i'm posting this because i have a couple of threads up right now, and i'm not sure how to take them down. i sent mike carannante a female ball python this week. she's being returned with a possible mite problem.

due to this event, i am suspending all sales/trades for the next 4 weeks while i take measures to ensure that my animals are healthy and mite free. i'm worried sick about this recent discovery, and haven't noted any signs of mites in my collection. however, i can't take the chance of spreading carolina mites to others in different parts of the country. mites here are EXTREMELY RESISTANT to normal treatment procedures, so i'm taking this VERY SERIOUSLY.

i apologize to mike, first and foremost. i never meant to put your animals in harm's way, and i will certainly refund shipping money as soon as i'm able to. i apologize to other members here who have inquired about my animals, and to those who may have been considering purchase.

if you are still interested in purchasing/trading with me (ben biscy aka jason cogan) then please stay in contact; but understand that i WILL NOT ship out any animals for at LEAST four weeks to ensure that mites are not being spread around.

mike, i hate things went south for us, and i was really eager to play with the burm male. however, i am the kind of guy that puts business first, and i respect you and your decision. on top of that, i thank you SINCERELY for letting me know of a possible mite infestation. i can now take measures to re-sterilize my environment, and make sure my animals don't suffer or become ill from them. thank you for taking the time to inform me of the situation instead of slamming me in open forum, that's a BIG plus. if, in the future, i can do anything to help you and your program succeed, i'll be more than happy to comply!

to everyone else, i apologize for any inconvenience. if you have interest in my ads, feel free to message me, but understand that i will NOT ship until i'm certain that the collection is 100% mite free.

sincerely,

ben biscy
aka
jason cogan

Kudos to you, Jason, for putting customer service and animal welfare foremost. Stick to it and you will never be the subject of a Bad Guy post .. only Good Guy. My sig says it all

Personally, reading your post makes me much MORE inclined to buy reptiles from you in the future because of your knowledge and concern for the health of your animals. Great job, and thank you for taking such great care of your inventory!

thank you, laura and jordan. im still sweating bullets worrying about mites, and i pray that i didn't harm mike's collection. i appreciate the positive feedback, that's a pat on the back in time of doubt and concern!

to mike: i'm so sorry, man. i truly am. i'll still be trying to look out for you in november, and if i find a huge breeder female or a couple of 2000+g females, i'll still send to you (and i'll be certain that mites are no issue whatsoever). i don't blame you or look negatively upon your decision, and i'll do whatever i can to make things right. if you do come down with a mite problem, please contact me IMMEDIATELY so i can relay my eradication tactics. the mites in my area are no joke, and are resistant to permethrin based products; if you note any mites at all, please call me and i'll send you what has worked for me in the past.

again, thanks for the encouragement, it does help. and again, to mike, i'm so sorry! please let me try to make things right!

Thanks for being upfront and honest. That is rather respectable.

Your mites are resistant to permethrin? That is serious business there. Do you use Reptile Relief or something similar that destroys the exoskeletal structure of the mites? What is your treatment? It would be good knowledge to know for anyone who gets hit with these kinds of mites.

Originally Posted by Junkyard

Thanks for being upfront and honest. That is rather respectable.

Your mites are resistant to permethrin? That is serious business there. Do you use Reptile Relief or something similar that destroys the exoskeletal structure of the mites? What is your treatment? It would be good knowledge to know for anyone who gets hit with these kinds of mites.

i use a product called physan20 to sterilize the tubs, and i use hot shot no pest strips to kill any hatching mites from eggs on the animals.

here is a link to the pest strips...

http://www.hotshotbrand.com/ProductC...s/NoPestStrip/

i cut the strips into 1''x1'' squares, and place the square in a perforated bottle. one bottle per 10g of cage for 7 days, then removed for seven days. i always let the strip gas out for a day before making the strips, as it's pretty strong smelling when it first comes out of the package. you CAN over do it, a full strip in a ten gallon tank can kill a lizard or snake, so remember, on square per 10g of container (one square will safely treat a 28q tub, which is 7g). they physan20 is highly highly toxic, and should be used cautiously. it does not, however, leave a residue, and is perfectly safe for the animals after rinsing. physan 20 is the only product i've ever used that kills EVERYTHING, including eggs. you can't use it on the animal, which is where the pest strips fit in. every seven days, i treat again with physan, and follow the on/off procedure with the strips.

removing the strips for a week at a time is important; if any of the mites survive and grow while the strip is in use, the offspring will be almost completely resistant to the strips, making it that much harder to get rid of them.

i hope this information helps!

I realize the topic isn't sterilization or mite eradication, but since you brought them up & the mites are the impetus behind this thread, Physan20 is a quaternary ammonium product. It may well kill mites and eggs on contact, but that is definitely an offlabel use (I have used similar products in the past, and seen them kill mites...but obviously I can't make the same comment about the eggs). I'd recommend scrapping the no pest strips, personally, and opt for P.A.M. or one of the similar products.

Originally Posted by hhmoore

I realize the topic isn't sterilization or mite eradication, but since you brought them up & the mites are the impetus behind this thread, Physan20 is a quaternary ammonium product. It may well kill mites and eggs on contact, but that is definitely an offlabel use (I have used similar products in the past, and seen them kill mites...but obviously I can't make the same comment about the eggs). I'd recommend scrapping the no pest strips, personally, and opt for P.A.M. or one of the similar products.

i've used similar products first, and have a can of pam; i've not noted any side effects from any of the three products (lice spray, bedding spray, p.a.m) to the animals, but i have noticed that none of the permethrin products offer an extended residual effect toward these indigenous mites. all three kill on contact, but don't kill future hatchlings....

why would you recommend scrapping the pest strips? i know that they can cause drastic problems if used incorrectly (geckos especially seem to be effected by the strips).

Originally Posted by hhmoore

I realize the topic isn't sterilization or mite eradication, but since you brought them up & the mites are the impetus behind this thread, Physan20 is a quaternary ammonium product. It may well kill mites and eggs on contact, but that is definitely an offlabel use (I have used similar products in the past, and seen them kill mites...but obviously I can't make the same comment about the eggs).

yes, physan20 is a horticutural product that we first found highly effective on the roses (which are plagued each summer by spider mites). physan kills all types of molds and mildew, as well as nearly any pest (it's worked on every insect i've tried it on). it IS VERY TOXIC AND DANGEROUS TO USE, and requires one to follow directions to the letter. however, it does rinse, and leaves no residue. this does not do anything to mites that may hatch on the pets/animal collection, but does kill everything on the tub itself. physan20 is my "bleach".

DO NOT EVER ATTEMPT TO TREAT AN ANIMAL WITH PHYSAN20!!!! IT IS HIGHLY TOXIC TO HUMANS AND ANIMALS!!!!