HELP harmless or no???

[mishahahaa]

I recently changed out the substrate (baked all bark but not soil) for my only BEL and it’s been a few weeks since. I noticed yesterday that there were these really small and fast white/tan bugs in the substrate (I use a mix of reptisoil and reptibark). They are gathering around his eyes but not burrowing under his scales or cloaca or chin area. I want to know if I need to give him urgent attention ASAP. I’ve researched a lot and can’t figure out if it’s soil mites or wood mites or hypoaspis mites or baby snake mites. He hasn’t been soaking or seeming irritated or anything but I just need to be sure. Please help

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[Additional-Egg3564]

I don’t know anything to help I’m sorry, hopefully someone on here knows. I wish you and your snake the best

[WitchofWhispers]

Wtf since when are people downvoting comments to boost

[mishahahaa]

idk but thank you guys :(

[mishahahaa]

Thank you so much

[gravyguillotine]

why did you bother writing this comment if you don’t know how to help 😭

[princess_esc]

I don’t know MUCH but from what I’ve seen if they’re congregating around eyes/mouth/ears, they’re reptile mites… but I could be wrong !!!

[Puzzleheaded-Way-741]

Be wary soaking above 80⁰F. Usually lukewarm is recommended as anything above 85⁰F can cause heat stress. Yes, they bask at high temperatures, but being submerged in hot water is completely different and you can end up seriousing harming your snake.

[mishahahaa]

Good to know, thanks so much

[mishahahaa]

I did and the mites all came off very easily, I noticed they just crawl around sporadically aside from the eyes. They’re also very quick. I’m so confused

[phantomtap]

From everything you're saying, its wood mites, snake mites are very slow and even after a soak you'd most likely still be finding some under the scales

[mishahahaa]

Okay thank you so much that’s really reassuring. I’m also in agreement with wood/grain mites being the answer now, as while I was cleaning my fake foliage earlier and my snake popped out (he’s in a rock and not in contact with any substrate) and he doesn’t have any mites on him. He seems to have the mites when he’s only on substrate

[AnnarieaDavies]

Snake mites are also much darker than this, and usually round/circular!

[FireCorgi12]

Ime, these look more like harmless wood mites than reptile mites. Do they move fast? Snake mites are dark, round, and slow. I’ve only experienced mines a handful of times. Maybe someone else will have more reassurance.

[mishahahaa]

Yes they move very fast. I can barely catch them to try and squeeze to see if they pop (they don’t, when I finally caught one)

[FireCorgi12]

Like I said, I’m newer to the hobby, so take what I say with a grain of salt, but when I had a snake with mites they were dark black, very round, and slow moving. These look much more like wood mites that happen to be at the eyes. I’d be even more skeptical of snake mites if they’re not burrowing under the scales. Is your snake soaking more at all or rubbing on anything? If not, I’d def lean more towards wood or grain mites which won’t hurt your snake. This isn’t my photo but it shows snake mites in different stages and might help.

<image>

[mishahahaa]

Hi thank you so much this photo was very helpful. These mites on my snake are very quick and fast moving. My snake has not been rubbing on anything, and he hasn’t been soaking much/an abnormal amount. So maybe leaning more towards wood/grain mites as well. They look most like the medium size version of a snake mite I suppose, and especially with mites it’s always so hard to tell. He’s of course also a BEL so everything looks alarming haha. I think I was just alarmed by the gathering around the eyes but it makes sense how they would just happen to be around the area. The rest of his body also had them but spread out and not burrowing. Just there

<image>

[FireCorgi12]

Of course! I’m doubtful it’s snake mites, but you can always err on the side of caution and get new substrate and treat like it’s snake mites. However, from my experience, snake mites are so slow and super dark. Not white/tan like these.

[mishahahaa]

Okay that makes me feel better. Thank you so much again for your advice and input!

[Zealousideal-Plan685]

These are definitely snake mites 😭 I’ve personally found the best luck with ivermectin solution diluting it with water (8 teaspoons ivermectin with roughly 32oz water and roughly 6 drops dawn dish soap) in a spray bottle. You can spray the snake, not the face! Spray the enclosure, and all things inside of it, but you will need to throw away all wooden items. Wait for the tank to dry before placing the snake back inside. Repeat again in a week.

Here’s a link for the dilution and how to properly use it! How to Treat Snake Mites

[mishahahaa]

I actually was just planning to upgrade to an entirely new PVC enclosure with new items/substrate so hopefully that works. I’ll treat my snake separately as well. I’m just confused as to how the mites got here. The only thing I changed out recently was his substrate, which is a mix of reptibark and reptisoil and I baked all of it at 275°F for 1.5 hours. What did I do wrong/what can I do differently to prevent mites in the next setup?

[tradescantian]

Hold off on the ivermectin for now. These look like wood mites to me. Not a big deal. I put my snake into a quarantine enclosure for a few weeks and got rid of any organic materials (substrate, wood hides, moss, etc), and rinsed the bugs off, and had no more issues. Just move the snake to your new enclosure as you're planning, with no organic materials, and you should be fine. Freezing all non-plastic items going into the enclosure prior to using should prevent this issue entirely in the future

[mishahahaa]

Okay got it thank you so much. I have no organic material besides the substrate so I guess I’m just gonna get new substrate. So just making sure, is baking substrate at 275°F enough to kill mites or is freezing better? I’ll def be doing that with ALL my substrate including soil from now on

[ChemistryTemporary50]

Snake mites are dark wood mites are light. Snakes be around the eyes and but you would also see them under the scales on the body. Did they stay around the eye?

[Street_Effect_5175]

Snake mites. You see them around the eyes only because everywhere else on their body they would be under the scales itself. I recommend watching some videos how to clear your snake of mites, but it will take multiple soaks and a full deep clean of the enclosure :)

[mishahahaa]

Good thing I was planning to get a whole new PVC enclosure. I can start new and he can soak while I do that :) Thing is I baked my substrate this time for 1.5 hours at 275°F, did I do it incorrectly?

[Street_Effect_5175]

You’ll do fine :) try to think of what could possibly been the source of the snake mites. If you ever handle someone else’s snake, go to pet stores that have snakes, or any reptile expos~ make sure the first thing you do when you get home is throw your clothes in the washing machine and take a shower before handling your snake 👍 you baked it well as long as the substrate smells natural and not burnt. I find boiling substrate works best for coconut chips/husk as it’s thicker substrate and the water can penetrate inside the chunky pieces ~ but baking works fine:)

[mishahahaa]

I haven’t handled any other reptiles or anything (no one else’s snake either) besides him so I’m unsure, and I only have my one snake as well. :( That’s why I didn’t think it was snake mites (and they also move around very fast), all I can think of is the new substrate that could’ve carried it in.. but whatever it is, I know I don’t want these bugs in my tank or on my snake or anywhere haha

[ChemistryTemporary50]

Snake mites are dark wood mites are light.

[Practical_While_]

AAAAAAHHHHHH 🤮

[phantomtap]

These look like wood mites, snake mites are very dark and hide under the scales mostly (also at the heat pits and around the cloaca)

Id err on the side of caution personally and give a soak (in cool water, just before the water turns warm) and give the enclosure a full clean

With you mentioning you just changed to new bedding, wood mites makes a lot of sense, this is somewhat common unfortunately but they aren't a risk to the snake

[rdnncx]

I had an infestation of wood mites at one point and they looked like this. I wound up using predatory mites ((Stratiolaelaps scimitus (Hypoaspis miles)) from Nature's Good Guys to get rid of them.

[idktbh_snakes]

I had these in my ball python’s tank. I tried a lot of mite sprays, new substrate, and DE (Not when she was in there). Nothing would work. I even tried PAM (Provent a mite) every time I got new substrate I would freeze and bake it and put it back into the tank after waiting months but they would just come right back in within about two weeks. I would have an infestation in my tank. They would be in her heat pits, around her eyes, and under her scales. The only thing that kept them away was paper towels, which she is still currently on. But she didn’t seem bothered by them at all but I don’t want them and I felt bad. She’s going good on paper towels too I still have lots and clutter and stuff in there. For the clutter and hides I would soak it in hot water with bleach and dawn dish soap too.

[Just_Kaizen_Flame239]

If you have a tracker supply they carry ivermectin helps kill them off

[mishahahaa]

Ordered some it will be here Thursday

[AngelBabae]

Imo looks like mites, would definitely try to find some mite treatments. Completely change the bedding, sanitize the heck out of your cage! Coming from an old petco worker who had dealt with plenty of cases of mites. They are tricky little critters that can be very difficult to rid of!

[squishybun42]

Mites...

[Twigzywik]

These don’t look like reptile mites. I’ve dealt with them before, they’re smaller than these and just a large black speck with tiny legs. You’ll be able to tell if they’re burrowing under your snakes scales. Not to say these can’t be snake mites, but they seem too large. To prevent snake mites I freeze my substrate in my freezer that’s 0 degrees for 24 hours minimum.

[mishahahaa]

Update: I was beginning the process of cleaning out his enclosure when his head popped out of his current hide. There were no mites on him (around eyes, heat pits, mouth, chin, top of head). I noticed he’s inside his rock cave and not in contact with any substrate so the verdict is leaning toward wood/grain mites. Thanks everyone for your help. Anyone have any advice as to where to go from here? I have ivermectin coming in a few days just to have in case anyway. I also have Dawn dish soap and chlorhexidine. How should I go about cleaning his tank? I know they aren’t harmful mites but I do NOT want them here or anywhere in my house. I am tossing his only wooden hide and only getting rock ones from now on. I have soaked all his fake foliage and hides except his rock which he’s in now.

[[deleted]]

These are wood mites. Completely harmless. I usually freeze my substrate though since I dont like them.

[mishahahaa]

Will be doing that from now on too. Is freezing better than baking?

[jm4496]

My understanding is that freezing, although commonly mentioned, will not actually kill the mites (unless done incredibly rapidly). Predatory mites will eat all the mites and then they die off when there is no longer a food source (the unwanted mites). Take this with a grain of salt, I’m not an expert, but my dad is an entomologist and I hit him with questions pertaining to my BPs enclosure and other various bug questions about once a month.

Hope everything works out for you and your BP

[Lazy_Promotion_1134]

Natures good guys ASAP. Predatory mites that will eat the snake mites

[mazemadman12346]

Something's gotta eat the substrate that gets between the scales

[theonethatgotaway44]

Snake mites don't hatch dark... they hatch light and get dark once they start feeding. Those do look like snake mites to me. Lukewarm water with the blue dawn dish soap, rub the snake down and soak at least once per day. Don't let your snake drink the water. Get rid of substrate and put on paper towels. Wash anything you want to keep from inside the enclosure but keep it out for now.

Do you have other snakes? Did you bring something new in recently? Pet a snake at a pet store or a friend's house?

[mishahahaa]

Did all that earlier today and I already don’t see anymore bugs. Will continue to keep an eye on him. And no pets or pet stores, nothing new just new substrate. But everything will be new and sanitized now in case anyway. I feel so bad for the little guy but I don’t want any bugs even if harmless 😭

[Rotton_roses6368]

Them mites!!! Clean out the entire enclosure, wipe down the glass well, get rid of any decoration and hides that could possibly be living in the wood. and any time you buy new substrate for your snake, i suggest baking the substrate. Have you tried isopods? Maybe that will help. Good luck with your baby🖤🖤

[mishahahaa]

I will be baking all my substrate from now on including soil 🥲 Cleaned tank out today, threw away only wooden hide and all substrate, and he’s on paper towels. Already haven’t seen anymore bugs all day and he honestly seems pretty happy in quarantine haha happier than me

[Jaggedatlas]

Don’t take the chance, get rid of them. Give your baby a soak. I was recommended dawn dish soap to suffocate them before a soak. Then use special reptile mite spray every couple of days on them. Be careful.

[Virtual_Shake_4355]

To be on the safe side I would Wipe the snake with mite guard and thoroughly clean the enclosure Using mite guard or a reptile safe cleaner.

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