• Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

  • IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed

    =====================
    Posted 08/15/2025
    =====================


    Yeah, I know. They are a pain in the butt. But they pay the bills to keep my server running. Just a fact of life, I am afraid.

    Want to get rid of them? Simple. Just become a Contributor level member or above and they will be gone. -> Please click HERE."

    Is that too much for me to ask of you to keep this site running? Well, sorry about that. I too wish I could get everything for free. But alas.....

    =====================
    Addendum: 01/10/2026
    =====================


    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

Sevin dust for mites?

phoenix-cry

New member
Joined
Jan 21, 2011
Messages
1,797
Reaction score
45
Points
0
Location
Dover, NH, USA
Back in November I had a mite outbreak. I used dishwater soak, washed all the tubs (including snakes without mites) in scalding water and soap, and sprayed the bedding with Provent. Two weeks later I did the whole thing over again.

Well *months* go by with no problems and then BAM! I found a mite yesterday (white snake, easy to spot). WTF? Where did he come from? Grrrrrr. I have a collection of 15 snakes so not a huge collection and I keep a careful watch on them. So I've caught it early, but how did they come back after all this time? No one is infested like you think they would be if I simply hadn't knocked them out the first time. Out of 15 snakes three of them had mites, of the three I found 7 visible mites. I found no mites in the tubs the way I did during the first outbreak.

As a first strike I put olive oil on *everyone* (washed my hands with soap and hot water between each snake).

Anyway, someone told me that Sevin dust 5% under the newspaper is amazing stuff. This stuff for killing insects in gardens. I found people that use in the cornsnake world, but I couldn't find any threads on it here.

So...anyone with Sevin dust experience with ball pythons and hognose on here?
 
Lauren!!!!

Just get PAM (Prevent A Mite) and use as directed. It's not worth trying cheap fixes.
A can or two of PAM and you'll be set.

Stop putting Olive oil and dish soap on your snakes.

Good luck getting them taken care of.
 
Prevent a Mite. Okay, can do.

When I came on here for the first time with the mites no one mentioned that. Everyone said "soak them, olive oil them, and use Provent"

Wait...is the provent spray the same as prevent a mite? It's a white can with a black top, cost about 20$ you spray it on the bedding not the snake?
 
Yes, it's Provent. Order an extra can to have on hand.

Do not spray on the snake, or in a room where you keep inverts or phibs. Spray tub and let dry before putting snake back in. You can also spray the bedding if you like, and I'd go ahead and spray the rack down as well.

Good luck!
 
Just get PAM (Prevent A Mite) and use as directed. It's not worth trying cheap fixes.

Stop putting Olive oil and dish soap on your snakes.


Do not spray on the snake, or in a room where you keep inverts or phibs. Spray tub and let dry before putting snake back in. You can also spray the bedding if you like, and I'd go ahead and spray the rack down as well.

:iagree:
just make sure to follow the directions, one treatment is all it has ever taken for me (although I do follow up with a second if dealing with actual mites in Quarantine and not just as a proventative measure).

Spray in an open well ventilated area, let it dry completely - good to go.
ProventAMite1209.jpg


good luck!
 
That is excatly the stuff that I used the first time and I followed it to the letter!

I guess I need to do it again.
 
I sprayed the papertowels, but it looks like your spraying the tub...can I spray the tub? That sounds like a good plan if that works.
 
Got it! I'll give it another try. I didn't have mites for MONTHS! Where did they come from!! I haven't add anything to that room! They just suddenly sprung out of nowhere again. And my three in quarintine that I just got within the last week show no signs of mites.
 
Weird, months is past the life cycle. Did you go to any reptile stores or shows recently? Or anyone visit that may have? Sometimes they can get on clothes and then migrate into the snake room (float on air). Stupid mites!
 
Dear Lord...I went to a reptile show about two weeks about....but...but I didn't touch anything. At least I didn't hold any reptiles. But I did touch the tables.
 
Actually ive used sevins dust for snakes and lizards with no problems for years. When i worked at a pet store, if i found mites, i would put the snake/lizard in a pillowcase filled with a mixture of aspen chips and sevins dust. The idea is that the animal will burrow and move around in the dust coated aspen and killing off any attached mites. I then use provent a mite to spray down the cage and anything in it.
 
I also then put a small amount of dust in the substrate of the animals enclosure to provent near future break outs, again ive had no side effects or issues when doing this and even my veterinarian uses this method when he has an outbreak in his collection.
 
Ive had to use ivermectin, and PAM, but only use ivermectin if it is seriously diluted it is still controversial to use but my reptile vet gives me the dosages i should use.
 
Prevent a Mite. Okay, can do.

When I came on here for the first time with the mites no one mentioned that. Everyone said "soak them, olive oil them, and use Provent"

Wait...is the provent spray the same as prevent a mite? It's a white can with a black top, cost about 20$ you spray it on the bedding not the snake?

All the cans I've seen, the couple of cans I have in the closet (never had to use it thank goodness), all the conversations I've seen about it, I never noticed it said "Provent. Wow. :eek: This is embarrassing! lol

Sounds like you were doing the right thing. :thumbsup:

I personally still don't use olive oil or anything else, I'm sure it can help for a temporary fix if you don't have PAM but I stick to just PAM.


Anyway, you learn something new everyday I guess lol.

Good luck Lauren. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
I have used 7 dust on my balls, haha no for real tho. I was treating ticks on a wild caught i recieved. It worked great although i think it seemed to bother the snake a little. The night after i used it she escaped from her cage which never happened before. If the other stuff dont work i would try it but do so sparingly. Good luck:yesnod:er
 
Okay, mite update:

Sprayed all tubs on the 23, did a full check of everyone today and found not a single living mite! DIE! muahahahahaha!! DIE!!!

So mite free again. I just never thought I'd get mites without adding a critter to my rack!
 
Back
Top