What do reptile mites look like?

Question

Our baby snakes have bugs crawling around their eyes. These bugs look like a grain of sand in both size and color. Are they mites or not? Pictues of mites that I have found are either black or red (engorged with blood). Please help. . .

Answer 1

Those sure sound like reptile mites to me. As they grow they consume more & more blood, and the adults can become engorged to the point they turn red or black.

There are a number of cures, but the one that has worked best for me has been Provent-a-Mite. You can buy it from most stores that sell reptiles &/or reptile products, or you can order it directly from http://pro-products.com/

Read the directions carefully and use it as directed - don't get creative.

Answer 2

Like ticks, these arachnids attach to a host and suck blood. They are much smaller, however, and are usually found in large numbers on your iguana and in its enclosure. Mites are much more active than ticks, and appear to be tiny, moving specks. If you’ve got mites, you’ve got problems.


Symptoms - The same as for ticks (see above), although mites are harder to see because of their small size. They like the same places as ticks - eyelids, armpits, vent - so check these areas closely.

Treatment - Treating for mites is a two-step process. You’ve got to treat your iguana, and you’ve got to aggressively treat its enclosure. Neither of these steps is easy or fun, but both are necessary to be rid of the mites permanently.

Treating your iguana - There are a few different methods that you can use to get the mites off of your iguana:
You can cover your iguana with a thin layer of baby or mineral oil for a few hours, and then rinse. This will suffocate the mites. You’ll need to repeat this once a week until no more mites appear. Of course, what do you do with an oil-covered iguana?
You can talk to your vet about the possible use of flea sprays. Do not use any pesticides on your iguana without consulting your vet first! Only vet-approved products (like sprays made for young kittens, for example) should be used. If your vet approves a product, you can spray it on a towel and wipe it on your iguana’s body, paying special attention to those favorite mite areas, and being especially careful of your iguana’s eyes. Wiping the spray onto your iguana with a towel gives you more control. Don’t spray it on directly.
Talk to your vet or pet store about other mite treatments. Be wary of products in the pet stores though - many of them don’t work effectively. Research products thoroughly first, and consult your vet.
One popular method of ridding your iguana of mites is to give your iguana a bath in water containing enough Betadine to make it tea-colored. The bath should be shoulder-deep. Since the mites will crawl up on your iguana’s head to escape the water, you will have to gently pour water over its head, but be careful to keep the solution out of the eyes. After the bath, saturate a cloth with Betadine and rub it around (not in) the eyes, in the armpits and skin folds of the legs - all those areas that mites favor. This treatment must be repeated once or twice weekly until there are no more reoccurences.
Treatment of the enclosure:
Remove the substrate from the enclosure and discard. Scrub the habitat and accessories (branches, bowls, etc.) thoroughly. Soak in ½ cup bleach/gallon water solution for at least eight hours. Rinse well, and let air dry for at least 24 hours.
Wooden accessories can be baked at 200º F - 250º F for 2-3 hours to kill any mites/eggs on or in the wood.
Mites are extremely resistant to even the harshest disinfectants. Therefore, you must treat the enclosure with pesticide to be rid of them for good. To do this, place several no-pest strips or cat flea collars in the enclosure. Place them in such a way that they do not come into direct contact with the enclosure walls, floor, etc. For example, you may place them on a piece of aluminum foil. Seal the enclosure as much as possible from outside air, and leave the strips in for several hours. After treatment, air the enclosure out for several hours before placing your iguana back inside.
After treatment, you must be extremely diligent about inspecting the enclosure and your iguana for new populations of mites. The eggs and tiny, barely visible immature stages can be hidden and can escape treatment, despite your best efforts. Treatments of both enclosure and iguana must be repeated until the mites are eradicated for good. In addition, some people have had success treating parasitic mites by introducing predatory mites into their iguana's enclosure. These predatory mites are not harmful to iguanas, but rather prey on the parasitic mites on the iguana, as well as the mites and eggs in and around the enclosure, and then die when their food supply runs out.

Answer 3

you can usually tell because theyll be tiny black dots in the water dish..but it does sound like mites..or ticks

Answer 4

Yes it sounds like what you are describing, they are black or dark red black, smaller than a pinhead.

Answer 5

Listen to what My Evil Twin says...he knows what he's talking about.

Answer 6

White rolly pollies.

Answer 7

they are smaller than ticks

Answer 8

Try this see if it helps!



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