So this weekend I had Rupert out of his vivarium, giving him a bit of a cuddle and a health check as usual. Then I spotted a tiny little white bug crawling over him! Then another… then another! I panicked, and instantly thought he had mites so I quickly filled the sink with water and gave him a bath. Once I knew he was clear of these little bugs, I got on Google to find out exactly what they were, and it turns out they were just wood mites which are completely harmless. They are commonly found in
As you can imagine, this was a big
relief. Then I thought, I need to research mites in case there was an
infestation that I needed to treat. So I’ve done a bit of information hunting,
and found some useful information on how to spot and treat mites.
Mites are tiny black parasites
that live on your Royal Python and feed on their blood. They are visible to the
naked eye, and can usually be spotted around the eyes, mouth and under the
scales of your Royal Python. Your Royal Python will go off its food and seem
more inactive if it has mites, which are a more obvious behavioural indication to look out for.
The first thing you should do if
you discover your Royal Python has mites is bathe it in warm water. Try to
ensure that it is completely clean of mites then set to work on cleaning out
the vivarium. I usually place my Royal Pythons in pillow cases tied with an
elastic band at the opening. This is because they are dark and have breathable cotton material
which won’t cause your Royal Python to become stressed.
When cleaning out the vivarium,
you should make sure that you disinfect all items such as the water bowl, hides
and any decorative plants you may have. This is to ensure that all the mites
and eggs are removed. Thoroughly clean out the entire vivarium with
antibacterial spray that is suitable for pets. Once you have cleaned the
vivarium you should use some kind of mite treatment.
Provent-a-Mite is one of the best
mite treatments available from most pets stores and online, and it is really
easy to use. Spray your clean vivarium and hides with the Provent-a-Mite, being
careful not spray the water bowl. Once the spray is 100% dry, line the bottom
of your vivarium with white kitchen roll as substrate. You should use this for
2-3 weeks to be sure that you have no more mites in the vivarium (the mites and
eggs are easier to spot on kitchen roll and it is also much easier to remove).
After 2 weeks you should repeat the process of cleaning and spraying the
vivarium as a final treatment to kill off any baby mites that may have hatched. You should also be checking your Royal Python regularly to ensure that there are no mites on their body. If you do see mites, you can bathe your Royal Python to remove them. Once you are sure the mite infestation has been cleared, you can return the vivarium
to its normal state.
I hope this has been helpful to
you. Mites are pretty easy to deal with if they are caught early and don’t
spread to any other vivariums. This is why I recommend checking your Royal
Python’s health and condition at least every week to ensure that these problems
are caught early if the occur.
If you have had any experience
with mites or have any other ways to treat them, please leave a comment below!
xoxo
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