Mites AGAIN... can't find Repel Permanone

-=krissi=- · #1 (**permalink**) 08-11-2009, 07:02 PM

I've been to 3 Walmarts and haven't seen any and there is no spot for it on the shelf. Does anyone know why this is? I'd have asked a Walmart employee but they seem to avoid customers and having to actually DO THEIR JOB like it's the plague.

I don't know if I didn't do it right last time or what I am doing wrong. I went into my snake room after feeding everyone a few days ago to find my baby albino boa crawling with mites.
It's been maybe 3 months since I've seen any and yet again I've got them.

The only thing I can think of is I am possibly bringing them home on me even though usually the only reason I go near the reptile department in my store is to get crickets. I don't think snake mites would have any reason to come find me in grooming because they can't possibly know to come find me, hitch a ride home on me and they'll end up with a delectable buffet of snakes.

I am at my wits end and about to rehome all my snakes.
I feel so bad for them because this past year it seems that every time I think they're good after they haven't had mites for a while... then BAM there's mites again.
The rest of them only seem mildly annoyed by this but the baby, I think, is stressed by all this mite drama.
I've made an appointment to have him checked out next week.
I am borderline suicidal at this point lol because this has me so frazzled and I know my poor snakes feel even worse than I do.

I'm about to break down and buy Provent-A-Mite.
Is it really worth the money?

Special K · #2 (**permalink**) 08-11-2009, 07:21 PM

Giving up your animals won't do anything but spare you the responsibility of correcting the problem. Out of sight, out of mind - maybe - but the animals will still suffer if they are infested, no matter whose hands they're in. I've had a few tough situations with the nasty pests, and I completely understand your frusteration - but just because you've exhausted one method doesn't mean that maybe another won't be your salvation.

This is the regimen I recommend above all the others, and the one I follow when I encounter mite issues within my collection:

http://www.albertareptilesociety.org/caresheets/nix.pdf

Feel free to also spray this mixture on your clothing before/after visiting pet stores or expos, and around your enclosures (such as the carpet, linens, draperies). You may need to do more than one treatment, but I have personally never needed to other than just for the sake of precaution. By using this solution, the mites I noticed always disappeared almost instantaneously.

While it might seem improbable that the mites may 'pick' you out at a pet store, all it takes is a few to stumble upon you at some point, hitch a ride, fall off somewhere around your home, where they can then eventually find your animals. Spraying clothing before and after a visit will help kill off any unwanted travelers before they even have the chance of making your snakes' acquaintance. I personally wash my clothing directly after a pet store or expo visit, just because it certainly can't hurt to take every precaution.

It's possible that the mites are simply harbouring somewhere within your place of stay, and returning to your animals after periods of time - that's why I recommend that you spray whatever you can with the Nix mixture listed above. It kills not only the adults, but their eggs as well, and is completely safe for your animals (and linens, if you're worried). It kind of smells nice, too!

Keep at it, and while I personally recommend this method, there are other ways of erradicating mites. If anyone else has any other tips, feel free to add them in.

Hope this helped, keep us updated!

KyleZ · #3 (**permalink**) 08-11-2009, 07:24 PM

I've seen Repel Permanone at Dick's sporting goods stores... At Wal-Mart are you checking in the camping section? That's where they usually stock it. If you cannot find Permanone, you can also try the Nix bedding spray in the pharmacy section, it's a treatment for head-lice. Provent-a-Mite will work also, but all three products have the same exact active ingredient (permethrin), and should work the same.

Don't be suicidal! Mites should be very easy to eradicate and control if you treat their substrate with one of the above permethrin solutions. Just repeat again in 2 weeks, and you should be ok.

mpgt · #4 (**permalink**) 08-11-2009, 07:28 PM

Repel: Wal-Mart camping section. Good stuff

Kiote9 · #5 (**permalink**) 08-11-2009, 08:05 PM

When I had a mite problem, and when I would get new snakes off the internet, I would employ the use of Raid Ant Killer. It comes in the lighter blue can.
I would spray it around the baseboards of the snake rooms and spray the inside of the snakes cages CAREFULLY wiping out all of the liquid then letting it air dry for several hours before putting the snakes back in.

RAID? you say. You are insane! Here is the ingredients list

Active Ingredients
Permethrin 0.200% , Pyrethrins 0.130% , Piperonyl Butoxide Technical 0.260%
Inert Ingredients 99.410%

Prevent-A-Mite uses 0.50% Permethrin. All of the active ingredients in this products add up to 0.56%.

There are also a lot of us who remember Black Flag which was a fantastic mite killer that wasn't specified for reptiles but worked great.

(BTW, the chemical structure of pyrethrins is the basis for a variety of synthetic insecticides called pyrethroids such as bifenthrin, permethrin and cypermethrin. And Piper Butoxide Technical is used to kill mites.)

These ingredients are safe for animals in very low doses and used as mite, flea and tick reflief on mammals. None of my snakes got ill from it, and I was able to treat my carpeting, floors, windows and doors without spending too much money. (I had snakes in several rooms in my home.)

NO, I didn't put it on the snakes. The residual effect supposedly killed the bugs (although while treating the cages the snakes were soaked in tepid water then very lightly coated with olive oil). I treated again a week later to kill any baby mites.

I don't really trust any pesticides near any animals and you can't use them around bug pets. Now that I have tarantulas there are NO pesticides allowed in the house.

You are going to get conflicting advice on what products to use and will have to trust your own judgement. I am merely making a suggestion and don't expect you to do what I did.

Byron · #6 (**permalink**) 08-11-2009, 09:42 PM

when I brought mine home, I found mites... lots of them. I took bits and pieces of advice from everything I read and got rid of them in a few days. Not saying they wont be back, just that I had success in controling them.

I used Sevin Dust. Just as with everything else, some say use it. some say avoid it like the plague. You name it, I did it for a few days... soaks, Sevin Dust, Equate Bedding Spray (for everything EXCEPT THE SNAKE>>>DONT SPRAY THE SNAKE!!!!, Natural Chemistry Reptile Spray (couldnt find the Prevent-a-Mite stuff) and picking them off one at a time.

soak in water to get rid of the loose ones, Sevin Dust treatment (Googled for this), more soaks over the next few days then another Sevin Dust treatment (Google) more soaks and then start picking them off one at a time. I used the bedding spray (equate is the walmart version of Nit) for everything else. spray then rinse off.

After everything was done, Sevin dust in the tank/tub/enclosure. Throw it in to form a cloud, let it settle, then rinse. While all of this was happening over a few days, I stored the aspen substrate in the freezer to kill any that might be in there. also, any wooden pieces from my tank were "cooked" at 200 degrees for about 20 minutes to be sure I got any that might be on there also. The last step I did was to wash everything one more time with a mild bleach solution and let it dry.

Overkill? probably. All necessary? probably not. Recommended by everyone (or me or most other peeps you ask)? not a chance.

I am in no way saying that I did the right thing to get rid of them or that these treatments are safe to use on your snake. I'm just saying that these are the treatments I found when I googled and I'm not sure which part worked, but something did.

I saved a few web pages with info on getting rid of mites....once again, not saying that they are recommended, just that I found them, used them and my IJ lived.

mpgt · #7 (**permalink**) 08-11-2009, 10:27 PM

JMO. I wouldn't let the snake soak. It encourages the mites to run for the eyes and nostrils where they can avoid the water AND other treatments.

Byron · #8 (**permalink**) 08-12-2009, 02:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpgt

JMO. I wouldn't let the snake soak. It encourages the mites to run for the eyes and nostrils where they can avoid the water AND other treatments.

I agree (but I'm a noob so it really doesn't mean much). Everything I read on nearly every type of treatment said to avoid the eyes and nostrils. Thats where the picking them off came in, I guess. The main reason for soaking was because the Sevin dust dries them out.

jbd123 · #9 (**permalink**) 08-12-2009, 02:56 AM

Nix works great. When I have mites, I spray nix all over my carpets and drapes: AFTER I use a carpet deodorizer (bugs hate it and it's safe for pets after vacuuming) and vacuum the carpets thoroughly. Then I spray everything (including myself) with NIX.

I do the same thing as others have listed above as well... I spray myself with NIX when I walk in the door after work (at a pet store) and immediately throw all of my clothes in the laundry basket.

Yes I am paranoid but I have 40 snakes and if one has mites they ALL get treated...so it's no fun.

Stargazer · #10 (**permalink**) 08-12-2009, 03:07 AM

Krissi, buy the provent-a-mite. Treat the substrate with it and let it dry. Then return the infested snakes to their cages. The PAM will kill the mites in the substrate, the mites on the snake, and the rest of the insects in your house. As the eggs hatch, the PAM will kill them too, providing you treat the substrate every 30 days or so.

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