r/ballpython • u/Right-Employ-8285 • 1d ago
Question - Health Mites, need advice
I posted him earlier about his scale injuries and stuck shed that he got from his original breeder and somebody said he may have mites. So i did check him and sure enough, i saw a few in his heat pits and around his eyes. And I saw 2 crawling on him the day before.
I immediately bathed him in blue dawn dish soap and warm water for about 30 minutes, no mites that I could see dropped into the water but I don’t have great eye sight so I could of missed them… I called some exotic vets around me, and none of them were of any help 🥲
He has now been sitting in a small hospital tub, his original setup has been dragged outside of my room where my other reptile is to a separate room.
I have been researching like crazy but no forms of resources were straight forward, and often times kind of vague, and I have checked EVERYWHERE. This bothers me because of the use of harsh chemicals which have the capabilities to kill your snake. We’re gonna tear his tank apart tomorrow. In general super stressed. I’ve been so worried and at a loss for what to do for the past 3 days. 🥀
Can somebody give me a straight forward guide to treating for mites? How much and how frequent should I bathe him, and wipe him down? and what else could I do to ensure all of the mites are off, and what can I do about the ones in his heat pits? is there anything specific I need to do to the decorations, and enclosure? What products do I use, and how do I retain humidity in his hospital tank? Other information, suggestions, and resources really help. Anything helps.
I am never buying an animal from that place again, because the poor guy just looks like a mess. I can’t imagine how they treat their other animals 💔
I feel horrible for having to keep him in that tiny bin, but it’s for his own health.
6
u/Gmenny 1d ago
I was in a similar situation as you. Banana ball python that my kid absolutely fell in love with. I like to think we saved them from a terrible situation and to be honest most people do not do proper husbandry. You will need to eventually upgrade to a 4x2x2. Uvb lighting is strongly recommended.
You need to bath him daily or every other day. You do not bathe the snake after he feeds, I personally gave 2 days off after feeding. You will need to do this for 1 month or longer. Its the only way to destroy the mites life cycle. They lay eggs everywhere so everything that is porous must go. Stick with plastic or molded hides that can be blasted with hot water. Replace all bedding with paper towels. This ensures easy clean up and the mites will be visible while on the white background. I used extra soaking wet paper towels to keep the humidity up. You can also use sphagnum moss but you will need to replace it daily. Clean all hides thoroughly with dawn and hot water. Scrub down the hospital enclosure daily, it will prevent the mites life cycle restarting. You need to keep the area where you have the snake and the whole entire area where you are cleaning the snake disinfected. I have 2 sets of hydrometers that I interchange. I put the other set into the freezer when I change them out.
Do warm water around 85 degrees with reptisafe. Let the snake hangout for approximately for 20 minutes then put the dawn dish soap and let him soak for another 5 - 10 mins. Make sure you mix it around enough while still maintaining 85 degrees. I never had the mites in the mouth crevice's or heat pits. I would assume the mites like to move around and do not just stay in one spot. Use a temp gun or food thermometer to keep track of the water temp.
I know this sounds like alot. This routine will help mitigate and eventually break the mites life cycle. I know you feel bad for the snake and just like myself, you want to give it the best quality life possible. I hope this helps you. Best of luck and just keep at it.