Mites, Spewing Coffee Pots, and Dog Puke..... What a bad mor

Stormyva · #1 (**permalink**) 04-24-2003, 12:49 PM

Everything started out great, then....
I went to spray Nippy's (ATB) cage and found him in his water bowl soaking. Sure enough, mites. Then I go down stairs to find that the coffee pot has spewed a full tank of water and coffee grounds all over the counter, the dog puked on the floor, and of course I ended up late for work!

As for the mites I can not figure out where they came from.. I have had him for about a month now and check him every day. The only thing that I can figure is they came in on the ATB we got two weeks ago and I must have carried them across the room to Nippy's cage. The strange thing is that I have not seen any mites moving on either of the snakes nor have I seen any mites on the paper towel substrate in either the cages. Grrrrrr!
On a positive note both ATB's are still in a room, on the opposite end of the house, separate from the other snakes so hopefully none of the mites got into the other cages.

Oh well... to wally world I go tonight to get some Sawyers and blast some icky little bugs.

_________________
"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." - Lao-tzu

Sunn · #2 (**permalink**) 04-24-2003, 02:24 PM

Sorry to hear that Stormy....does sound like a morning to be forgotten and quickly!

Maybe we need to add in the mite prevention and treatment notes.....spray your clothing before traveling among your rooms to prevent transmission to different sites too! What a bummer!

Glad you posted this.....With the newbies in quarantine in a couple places...I've traveled all over without spraying me.......heck I think of washing hands and arms but only now have thought about treating me like a cage or substrate.

Have a great Friday and weekend in spite of your discovery.

Sandy
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Stormyva · #3 (**permalink**) 04-24-2003, 02:34 PM

What got me most is that I am anal about treating EVERYTHING for mites, I wash my hands, and do all the other stuff you are supposed to do.

Guess this would be a prime example of why to quarantine animals for extended periods of time... I was planning on moving Nippy in to the "general population" this weekend. This weekend would make almost 60 days in quanrantine.
On a positive note I only have to treat the two ATB cages and not the 7 in the other room. (I will probably spray the other cages while those snakes are in the feeding tubs eating tonight, just to be safe.)
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Sunn · #4 (**permalink**) 04-24-2003, 03:02 PM

I've come to the conclusion that no matter how careful we are.....how much we care those lil
so and so's will show up from time to time....

Just be glad you discovered them now rather than this weekend after moving them into your general population.

I will however...........and I once again thank you for the post.....be quarantining mine for at least..the very least 90 days....maybe even 120 and spraying me too in the future....beginning today. I enter my snake room so often throughout the day just to check on the big girls and escape my 2 yr. olds world who knows when I could find those lil so and so's.

Thanks again....

Sandy

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JuliusSqueezer · #5 (**permalink**) 04-24-2003, 04:10 PM

HA! My Vudoo Mite Hex Curse Worked!!!! I sent them to you through your dreams! Actually I was trying to send them to Eddie but my magic is so strong I can see how it could overshoot NC and hit Va LOL....anyway...mites happen. A single mite generally spends I think somewhere between 10 and 20 % of its life actually ON a host animal...eggs can lie dormant ...small populations can go unnoticed for a while before they explode into gazillions..If you have kids...just blame the kids. Life is much less stressful for us adults when we have a kid to blame for everything!
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Ti · #6 (**permalink**) 04-24-2003, 04:42 PM

"Life is much less stressful for us adults when we have a kid to blame for everything!" - the first positive reason I have heard to want kids. Lol, thanks Julius. Luckily for me, the other half doesn't read this site.... I think.

Ohh well. Stormy, sorry for your bad luck today. You can't have good without the bad, and by the sounds of it, you can count on only good luck for a while. Take care, and good luck with the mite problem...

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SteveP · #7 (**permalink**) 04-24-2003, 05:26 PM

Hey Storm, during the quarantine period did you introduce any new cage furnishings (branches, hide logs, etc.) to Nippy's or the other ATB's enclosures? I've often been suspect of bringing in new products from some pet or reptile stores for mites, besides the animals themselves. It's something easily overlooked.

Personally, I would shoot back a Voodoo Lousy Shed Hex Curse to JuliusSqueezer!!! I'm hoping his powers are limited to the Eastern Seaboard and immediately adjacent areas!

I still find it amazing that when life decides to pooh on us, it does it in grand fashion. If one catastrophy in the morning is good, why not three or four? Hope the rest of your day improves! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
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Stormyva · #8 (**permalink**) 04-24-2003, 05:52 PM

They do say bad things happen in threes [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ..... that is the sound of that hex bouncing it's way back down to Brett in GA.

Steve, nothing is new in Nippys cage. I think what Brett said is probably true. They were probably hidden under his scales and have now grown enough to be seen and be annoying or I carried them on my clothing or body from the other ATB's cage. Nippy's cage has remain unchanged except for a switch from paper towels to TREATED cypress mulch about three weeks ago.
The new ATB is still in a rubbermaid with paper towel substrate and a manzanita branch that was treated a couple of days prior to the new ATB getting here. It had to happen eventually, hence the reason for quarantines.
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Sunn · #9 (**permalink**) 04-24-2003, 07:13 PM

Well folks......

After listening to all this I got all itchy and went to the Big Apple site and ordered some
Reptile Relief.......I'm still itching......laffin....isn't it funny how that works?

Everyone is getting sprayed next cage cleaning.....heck I could have walked into their room
with them on my clothes for goodness sake! My substrate is always pretreated before going into the cage.

Those lil so and so's are really a noteworthy enemy.

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