Best product/techniques for mites

Hello,
I searched the forums and found a few different treatments for mites ranging from soapy water soaking to diluted Nix formulas, but was wondering who has treid what? what ened up working the best for you & how long did it take?

I have found the Nix treatment to work well. It worked quickly and there was not a return of the pests afterwards.

I have tried a variety of mite treatments over the years...and still not hit them all. I recommend Equate (Walmart brand) bedding spray, found in the lice treatment section of Health & Beauty. You can use Rid spray - it is the name brand, same ingredients, higher price - if they are out, or if there isn't a Walmart within convenient distance (does that situation exist anymore, lol?). Easy, effective, convenient, and pretty cheap.

Prevent a mite. Bottom line, its the only product approved for use in reptiles. The long term safety of homebrews and lice bedding sprays has not been established and the dangers of their misuse has. Additionally, just because the ingredients on Equate seem to look the same, doesn't mean they are. Prevent a mite cane be purchased directly from the manufacturer (www.pro-products.com) or through a host of distributors including Bean Farm and LLLReptile.

which treatments can/can't be used on snakes? I am going to be treating some cages with prevent-a-mite, but i didn't think it could be used in any proximity of the snake until it has dried overnight. Do the lasting effects of this product kill off or keep all the mites that are on the snake from laying eggs long enough for them all to die without reproducing?

since i already have a can of the stuff, can i use it in glass tanks and how long should I wait before moving my snakes into the cage?

thanks!

Originally Posted by jglass38

Prevent a mite. Bottom line, its the only product approved for use in reptiles. The long term safety of homebrews and lice bedding sprays has not been established and the dangers of their misuse has. Additionally, just because the ingredients on Equate seem to look the same, doesn't mean they are. Prevent a mite cane be purchased directly from the manufacturer (www.pro-products.com) or through a host of distributors including Bean Farm and LLLReptile.

Equate Bedding Spray and Provent-A-Mite are both 0.5% Permethrin Spray.

Permethrin is an insecticide.

Provent-A-Mite (Manufactured by Coulston Products - Easton, PA) is actually marketed under two different trade names. The "only spray approved for use in reptiles" is nothing more than marketing spin. Under the one name "Provent-A-Mite" - the product is registered for use with reptiles. Under the products other registered name - its approved uses is identical to Equate Bedding Spray.

The only ACTIVE ingredient in either Equate Bedding Spray or Provent-A-Mite is 0.5% Permethrin.

The only significant difference between the two products is price. Provent-A-Mite costs approximately $20.00 for 6 ounces while Equate Bedding Spray costs approximately $4.00 for 5 ounces.

Neither product is safe for application directly on an animal.

Originally Posted by darkbloodwyvern

which treatments can/can't be used on snakes? I am going to be treating some cages with prevent-a-mite, but i didn't think it could be used in any proximity of the snake until it has dried overnight. Do the lasting effects of this product kill off or keep all the mites that are on the snake from laying eggs long enough for them all to die without reproducing?

since i already have a can of the stuff, can i use it in glass tanks and how long should I wait before moving my snakes into the cage?

thanks!

You want to make sure the product has dried completely and no product is still in the air within the cage/enclosure.

Its important to remember that treating the enclosure is merely a step.

Soaking in warm water will drown active mites - add a drop of liquid dish soap to break the surface tension of the water.

If you are looking for a treatment to use on the snakes in between soaking - Reptile Relief is marketed as safe to use on the animals themselves. I've never used it but it works by breaking down the outer skin of the might. It is a weak acid.

Nix can be used on everything from the snake to the tank.

Originally Posted by Scott Ashton

If you are looking for a treatment to use on the snakes in between soaking - Reptile Relief is marketed as safe to use on the animals themselves. I've never used it but it works by breaking down the outer skin of the might. It is a weak acid.

I used Reptile Relief on a corn snake I got last year. It is the only product I used and it worked fine. He was in a critter keeper while in quarantine, so the cage could be cleaned easily with soap and water daily. While cleaning and soaking the cage I would spray him down (not on the head), and spray an empty snake bag down to put him in for a 1/2 hr or so. I treated him for 3 days in a row, then repeated the treatment again in 2 weeks for 3 days. I didn't see any mites before the last treatment, but did it anyway just to be safe.

I would recommend it to anyone as a part of a complete plan in treating mites. Using Reptile Relief for the reptile and Equate bedding spray for the enclosure you should be able to eliminate any mite problem in a few weeks. Just make sure to spray any carpeted areas in the room as well as the edges of the room.

I've used Reptile Relief with great success myself.

However, whatever product you choose, be sure to use as directed to avoid any possible complications. It specifically states on the back of the Reptile Relief bottle to not use any more often than at 3 day intervals. Misuse of ANY product increases the chance of there being complications.