Smelly Ball Python?

Question

Does anyone have any proven ways to make the cage not smell so bad. We keep it clean but it still smells, its the first thing people smell when you open the door to the house

Answer 1

Use a reptile safe disinfectant when you clean the vivarium out. This will kill any bacteria that are causeing the smell. Also remove any fecal matter as soon as the snake goes to the toilet. You might try haveing a citronella air freshner quitr near to the viv as this will also act as a deterent to tick and lice as well as disguising any smells.

Answer 2

That smell is a sign of a major problem of some sort.

You didn't say what kind of cage it is, what kind of substrate you're using, etc., so I can only give you some general tips.

First, you need to keep that cage CLEAN. If it smells, there's no two ways about it, it's not clean. Scooping out the occasional pile of snake poop isn't enough.

You should do a thorough clean/scrub once a month. After scrubbing (hot water and dish soap) and rinsing, I use hydrogen peroxide as a disinfectant and deodorizer, followed by a thorough final rinse. You should get that cage so clean you would feel no qualms about drinking the final rinse water.

Make sure the cage isn't too damp. Balls need around 50% relative humidity, but more is not better, and excessive dampness can lead to illness as well as making smells worse. Using a damp hidebox can be a good idea.

I'm using bark chips as a substrate at the moment, but I will probably switch over to cypress mulch. I've been testing it with some of my herps for a while, and I like it for ease of cleaning and humidity control. Spot-clean as necessary -- immediately! -- taking out not only the snake poop but the surrounding substrate, and replacing what you removed with some fresh substrate. Wait 10 minutes and check; if you can still smell anything in the cage, you didn't get it all; try again.

The water bowl is another potential source of problems. Would you drink from your snake's water bowl? If not, then the snake shouldn't have to drink from it either. The water should really be changed daily, and the bowl rinsed. At least once a week, give it a good scrubbing and disinfection.

For further information, NERD (a big ball python breeder) has a very good care sheet:
http://www.newenglandreptile.com/CareBall.html

Answer 3

I'm not being mean but you can't be keeping it clean enough. I have two snakes (one is a ball python ) in my bedroom, so I'm very close to their tanks a lot of the time, and I've never smelt a thing. Snakes should not smell.

What bedding are you using? Maybe try a different substrate, perhaps yours isn't absorbing the waste properly.

Answer 4

My ball python's tank smells if urine gets under the heat pad or if the tank gets dirty. I use cheap towels from K-Mart or Ikea for his bedding. It is easier than the bark and less expensive. You need to thoroughly clean out the tank and replace the bedding every time he soils it. For my snake, that is about every two weeks. Good luck.

Answer 5

well... i have 10 reptiles in my room so for me its a loosing battle to make the smell go away... i do a decent job staying on top of it but for me takeing the smell away compleatly is impossible.



but a fan and a open window definalty do wonders.

Answer 6

we have three snakes a burm, a ball, and red tail , and the only time thier tanks smell is when they use the bathroom. try using natural chemistry's healty habbitat its safe for them and makes it smell fresh.

Answer 7

burn candles and incense or I have to say this look for a less smelly pet.
I wish I knew an answer to give you