Now I understand, snakes are SUPPOSED to have mites

[SteveJor]

Boy was I wrong. All this time I thought mites were bad. Sure glad I ran into such a knowledgeable person today who was able set me straight.

I stopped at an ATM at lunchtime which happens to be in a shopping center next to a petstore. I won't mention the name of the store but it's "where the pets go". Anyway, I decided to go in to see what they had. Not much at all. They did have a reasonably small blood python in one tank. No water bowls, no hide box, and no light. Probably didn't have it heated either. The thing was on some astroturf. Talk about a mite infestation. You could see them crawling all over the poor things head. I counted 9 and I'm sure there were more. I never saw so many or so easily for that matter. After a few minutes of looking at the snake, one of the stores extremely knowledgeable salespeople came over and asked if he could help me. I said I was just looking but informed him that the snake had mites. "Mice!" No.....mites. See the little bugs (OK, arachnids) crawling on it.

Well, he proceded to tell me how they were beneficial. You see, mites help the snakes shed. Without them, the snake has trouble shedding. That is why people who try to sterlize their snakes end up with a snake that has trouble shedding correctly. The mites eat pertions of the dead skin allowing the snake to get it off easier. Well, I'l be. I never knew that. Since I had a bonefied herpetologist here, I figured I would ask some other questions. Why don't you have a water bowl in the tank? Simple answer. Snakes don't drink. They get all the water they need from what they eat. Looks like it's time to get rid of the bowls. All the snakes do is sit in them and spill the water anyway. If it's not needed, might as well get rid of it.

Well, after he educated me on proper husbandry techniques, I left. My lunchbreak was ending and I still hadn't stopped to eat yet.

Some people are just amazing. I wonder if all the help in that store is as knowledgeable as he is?

[addsig]

	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks

[eddie]

You're serious, aren't you?
I would have throttled the fool!
And then done what I could to SHUT THE PLACE DOWN!

Sorry, but some places do NOT deserve to sell any kind of animals....
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[natas]

My suggestion is to go to our caresheet section and find the mite article, print it out and give it to this idiot. I can't believe he is telling people this. I would also suggest that if they do nothing about fixing the issue at hand with mites and also if they continue to tell people this to turn this shop in....that or post some signs around the place explaining why mites are bad...or even give handouts of this to people walking in.....I can't stand when people do stuff like this.
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	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks

[Joltman]

dang and all the time and money I wasted treating my snakes for mites. I wish I had been in that pet store when I found out I had mites. You know that if everyone was so knowledgeable about mites there would not have to be all these darn snake laws around the country, bECAUSE THEY WOULD ALL BE DEAD. i THINK YOU NEED TO GO TALK TO THE OWNER OR THE HUMANE SOCIETY AND GET THIS CLOWN CLOSED DOWN. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img]
[addsig]

	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks

[Ed_r]

And All this time.... I'm a terrible persone mistreating my snakes this way. I would like to shake thet persons hand for sheding light on this matter.
Good God It's sickening to see that these people are selling animals. The same people that will sell a baby burm to a 6 yr old with a 10 gallon aquarium.
Don't petstores have to qualify for some kind of licencing to sell livestock? If not I'd say it's definately needed.
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[SteveJor]

This isn't the first time I have seen the people there give BAD advice. It seems like they make the stuff up on the spot.

I have a saltwater reef tank. Petco, oops, wasn't supposed to mention the name, now carries corals and anenomes. These creatures need INTENSE light to survive. They tell people a regular aquarium strip light is fine. Well then why the #$%^&#$%^&#$%^&#$%^& did I spend all that money on metal halides and power compact fluorescents. I'll tell you why. So the corals will live. They also have sick, ick-infested fish. I got told to leave one day by the manager because I lost a sale for them. They were bagging 2 yellow tangs for a woman and told her the 10 gallon tank she was buying would be fine. Just go home and dump the water from the bags into the tank. If you need more water just add it later. Where is the salt mix? Where is the hydrometer?

I would hate to see someone buy the snake and try to care for it the way they tell them to.

I have complained on many occasions but it never got anywhere.

These places should not be allowed to sell anything except dry goods.
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[Ed_r]

Btw We all should be ashamed of ourselves that we didnt know this about the mites. We all need to hang up our snake hooks and let the experts deal with them.
[addsig]

	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks

[faze]

wow i've been mistak en to... and to think that i always thought mites where bad hmm better rethink my theory [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif[/img] tell the guy to go back to school and start carrying millipedes and lose the snakes
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	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks

OOPS..Guess we all goofed on that ole mite thing [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img]

Did you get the employees name at all by chance ? Try sending a note off to their corporate and see if that gets any responce [ doubtful but...]
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	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks

[captainmorgan]

You should have kicked him right in the brown-eye!!!!!!!!!!!!
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[faze]

heh and to think how long it took me to do this post when i looked at it and hit reply nobody had yet geesh guess i took my time on finishing it had a customer walk in [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]
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[Reticu-Lady]

Faze, I sure hope you informed your customers of the benefits of snake mites. Hmmm, if my guys ever have that problem again, I will try to see if I can catch a few breeding trios and raise them in a culture jar like fruit flies and Faze, I will sell them to you at a pet shop owner's discount.
Seriusly, I am appalled at the stupidity of these people. I wonder if someone could sue the store after their snake dies a horrible death from a 'beneficial' mite infestation.
[addsig]

	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks

[XzyluM]

-sigh- Agree with what all these guys are saying. It's people's stupidity that we have to deal with. I would be in jail right now if I was in the store with that "knowlegable" salesguy.
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[Bry]

What? You mean mites help snakes shed? No wonder I've been having problem sheds recently. I'll have to try some mites when my snakes go in blue. Do you think Petco or Petsmart will let me buy some off them? They sure had a lot of them last time I checked, it wouldn't hurt to lse a few on their part. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img]

I was always told that mites drink the snakes' blood. Apparently, the snakes' blood cell count builds up rapidly and the purpose of the mites is to prevent the snake from getting bloated and eventually exploding. Do you think this is true also?

Bry
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	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks

[txgirl266]

I would have just had to slap the POOP out of him!!! I can't even think, I'm so mad I think only smart people should be aloud to own any kind of animal~~!!
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[Dr.Oviparous]

do they sell these wonderfull mites there? where can I get some?

on a more serious note, that is PH*****G discusting. If he really doesn't know, then thats one thing, and he has abosolutly no right or business having a snake in his possesion. but if he does know, and he is flat out lying, man I'm really fired up! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] . not only would he be lying, but look what he's doing to this snake. ok, I'm going to stop now -a very #$%^&#$%^&#$%^&#$%^&#$%^&#$%^& off Juggalo
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	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks

[Barrin]

[img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_frown.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_frown.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img]
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[Constrictor_BO]

Well now. if thats the case..... Does anyone here know where I can order mites??? Does anyone here want to go in halves if they cost less for bulk order????

How stupid can some people get? Is there anyway you can hang around there and talk to the costomers when they are in there about the way that store keeps it's animals. Maybe leave some flyers laying around without the store knowing warning people that the reptiles are doomed and will most likely die from bad husbandry.
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	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks

[trinitywolf]

The sad truth is that this kind of thing happens more than we might think. Several years ago when I was 18 (ok, longer than several [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]) I bought my first RTB from a small pet store here in Louisville. He was infested with mites AND I was instructed that cedar chips would be the best thing to keep him on. I was told much the same about the mites, they are benificial (although I can't remember the exact speil any longer) don't worry about it. When he died about 14 days later I bagged him up and took him back to the store. They would not refund my money as I MUST have done something to cause this! They are out of business now but I wish that I knew then what I know now.
Back then knowledge on boas was hard to come by...now there is just no excuse. All you have to do is put in a little effort. Thank goodness for resources like this web site and all the great books that have been published.
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	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks

[Bettina]

Oh no, the mite theory makes perfect sense. I can't believe we all didn't catch on sooner. See, people have little mites crawling around on their skin eating dead skin cells, so obviously everything else must, too, and then remember back in the day, like the eighteenth century, when they used to bleed sick people to make them better because they obviously have too much of the sanguine humor? Well, the snakes also have this problem, and so the mites bleed them so we don't have to have a bunch of snake blood sitting around. Such beneficial little arachnids.

On another note, Petco is horrible. I bought a frozen mouse from them once because they were the only place to have them that week, and the whole bag of mice had obviously been thawed and refrozen. It was really gross. I really don't want to know what they do with the rest of their stock.

Bettina
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	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks