Mites

[Kendall_fraser]

So I've read at least a dozen caresheets all over the internet. A few mention reptile relief. A few mention ideas that I feel are completely unsafe (nix). But here is my problem, I am in Canada where Reptile Relief and most other pesticides are banned. anybody have any good ideas? My reptile vet's website says to use a flea collar in the tank for a few hours, then air out the tank with a fan. Anyone think this would be safe? (obviously skink is in a temporary home) also very open to other ideas. Just remember stuff like reptile relief is not an option.

[zakkhogan]

Does your skinker have a mite infection or are you talking about the substrate?

either way i would prob make a trip to the vet, they should be able to recommend a good product, then i would change your substrate and give the Viv and its accessories a deep clean,

[Jeff]

If you can't get any of the products that we have outside of Canada, then you will probably need to wait until a fellow Canadien who has treated them successfully responds. It wouldn't be very useful to give you advice involving stuff you can't get.

Pest strips have been used by many people for many years, but I have also heard horror stories about them. I personally wouldn't use them if I had other options. Someone with experience using them should be on soon to give you help with that.

[Coomassie]

You can clean out the viv with bleach. I would throw out everything that is in it and just clean the tank. As for the skink it's self, mites can't swim so soaking the animal should help. I don't know if this will completely eliminate the mites but it will at least help for the short term.

[Katrina]

So I've read at least a dozen caresheets all over the internet. A few mention reptile relief. A few mention ideas that I feel are completely unsafe (nix). But here is my problem, I am in Canada where Reptile Relief and most other pesticides are banned. anybody have any good ideas? My reptile vet's website says to use a flea collar in the tank for a few hours, then air out the tank with a fan. Anyone think this would be safe? (obviously skink is in a temporary home) also very open to other ideas. Just remember stuff like reptile relief is not an option.

I have't dealt with mites, but I think Fatal_S has - you might try PMing her (or hopefully she responds). I'd look for provent-a-mite, I know we can get that here.

[Fatal_S]

Reptile Relief is banned? I have a big bottle of it from my first mite infection. I actually couldn't get RR to work for me (it was about as effective as water on my first infestation), and moved to stronger measures to de-mite my collection. You may not like my input, since the two methods I like to use are Nix and No-Pests, and I personally find Nix safer, and extremely effective. I would assume the flea collar would be similar to a No-Pest strip.

My first two infections were cleared with a Nix-solution. I was a bit nervous about using it, but the mites were really bad. I have to say I love it.
Nix Instructions: http://www.albertareptilesociety.org/caresheet/Onix.pdf

I put a bottle of Nix into a 4L pail of pure water, mixed, then poured some into a spray bottle. All reptile tanks were stripped of anything I could throw away, and food/water was removed. Basically the skinks were left with a bin with only paper towel on the ground. I treated the decorations separately. I first sprayed just the bin, then put down the paper towel and put the skink in. I then sprayed again, including all over the skink. I avoided the head. I treated the deco in a bin nearby, and sprayed the outside of all the bins and the walls nearby. Never saw another mite after the first spray, but I sprayed again 2 weeks later anyways to be safe. There was an improvement in the skinks (some of whom had been wasting away, I'd already lost one before I acknowledged I had mites) within the day. All supplies were cleaned once the treatment was over.

Oh, if you own any pet insects, move them far away, to the other side of the house if possible. I lost both my tarantulas because I didn't realize Nix/No-Pest effects them too.

My third infection, I had a possibly pregnant monkey-tail, and was recommended against using Nix. I was told No-Pest strips worked well for monkey-tails, but they're very powerful. I got one strip, openned my window, and left the strip in the center of my room for a few hours each day. When not in my room, it was double-bagged in ziplocs and out in the shed. Even with the bags, the shed was quickly a bug-free zone.

Biggest thing with No-Pests is you need to remove any food/water and not replace it until the air's had time to clear. The chemical the strips release basically coats everything (tanks, deco, skinks, water) in a film of bug-killer. I had water dishes left out in my room and all the water had a clear film over it, which grossed me out. At least with the Nix I knew where I was spraying the stuff. With the No-Pest, the stuff gets on everything. However, again, with the No-Pest, all the mites were very quickly gone, and while I kept using it every few days for a few hours (lasting for about a month) I never saw a re-emergence. Again, once done, I cleaned everything with soap and water. During treatment the skinks were only allowed the food/water I'd bring down for them, and never when the strip was in the area. I guess knowing that that film was coating everything kindof scares me, but the skinks showed no ill-effects.

I would be happy to use either of these methods again myself, though I hope I never have to.

[Kendall_fraser]

So after a few attempts at thorough cleanings and many baths. I broke down and bought Nix (was trying to do it without chemicals). Mites were noticed very dead in the bottom of the tank less then an hour later. Heres hoping they stay away and he stays healthy through the treatment.

[Helikaon]

just remember they have a lifecycle of about 14 days, so there will be eggs hatching that were not killed in 2 weeks. you need to make sure you treat again. Can you buy any of the simple flea rinses for cats and dogs which contain pyrethrins. Pyrethrins will also do the job and it is derived from plants. it works well enough. Remember that the main reason that drugs are considered dangerous is becuase ppl do not use them correectly (to concentrated or other similar things) On a side note i have only done this once but it stopped a clients mite infestation from spreading. He had jsut bought a new snake and it had mites had it in a plastic click clack so we treated the snake and the click clack and painted around the top of the click clack with fluon (that teflon paint to keep roaches from climbing out) he didnt do the 14day treatment because he thought they had gone and they came back again with adult mites on the snake but the spread was confined to just that snake which was pretty good. may just be a conincidence though.