Snake Mites
So you're worried about Snake Mites? Don't be - Uncle Dan is here to help :)
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What are they?
Snake Mites (Ophionyssus Natricis) are small parasitic insects that live on snakes. Juvenile mites are attracted to snakes by smell, and are dependant on snake blood in order to survive and progress to adulthood. Once feeding on the snake, they can most notably be found around the eyes and mouth, under the chin, and under the larger belly and side scales of the snake. How can I tell if my snake has mites? You will most likely notice mites in one of two ways; either by observing little black specks on the snakes head or under the scales, possibly moving around, or by noticing them crawling on your hands after handling the snake. Behaviour to take note of is sudden aggressiveness or restlessness, and soaking its self in it's water bowl for long periods - it does this in an attempt to rid its self of mites by drowning them. You can often find drowned mites in the water bowl. Infested snake are also known to shed their skin with increased frequency - record keeping helps to track this. |
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Are they harmful?
Yes and no. As with parasites, they are solely dependant on their host being alive in order to continually feed from it. They will, however, inadvertently contribute to it's prolonged ill health - mainly dehydration as a result of blood loss, and stress. Severe, untreated infestations however can result in death due to blood loss as a result of the sheer number of feeding mites, and blood infections are not uncommon. There is some debate that mites could possibly transfer diseases between snakes, such as IBD, but at time of writing, this is unconfirmed, yet entirely plausible.
Snake Mites pose no health risks or concerns to humans or other mammals, as they are simply unable to feed from anything other than snakes. There is another type of reptilian-specific mite known as Lizard Mites (Hirstiella trombidiiformis). Snake mites and lizard mites are completely separate species, and contamination between species is rare - they will try, given the opportunity, to feed on lizards (and vice-versa) but with reduced ability and limited success.
Where do they come from?
The $64,000 question. The short answer, is you. If you find snake mites on one of your previously all clear snakes, the chances are, you have inadvertently introduced them. By far the quickest and easiest way of introducing mites to your existing collection is by introducing a mite-ridden snake to your collection - a new purchase perhaps. Mites from this snake will will move freely between snakes within relative proximity of one another, and lay eggs in your existing snakes enclosures, beginning a fresh infestation.
Another way of introducing mites to your snakes is by visiting a location that already has snake mites - this could be the home of a snake-keeping friend, or more likely, a pet shop. Mites can cling onto your clothes, or on / in the items you purchase - notably, substrate. Mites can survive for a limited time within substrate, but they did not come from the substrate - they come from the shop that sells the substrate. There is some evidence to suggest that they can survive for longer in Orchid bark substrate over other types - this is because mites require high humidity environments (60-80%) to survive, but again, they found there way into the substrate in the first place from an infested snake, and have used the substrate as a means of transport to your house.
Adult female snake mites lay up to 20 eggs per time, and can lay up to 4 clutches in their lifetime - a single snake mite can become a mass infestation in a matter of days.
Additionally, there are a whole host of rumours as to where mites come from, ranging from complete untruths, to factual inaccuracies. They do not come from dirty enclosures: Mites are a living creature, not a bacterium. They cannot suddenly manifest themselves in an enclosure by any other means than introductions. You cannot introduce mites by using branches / rocks / moss etc foraged from your garden, local park, or woods. Snake mites are not native to the UK, or found on our only native snakes (adders and grass snakes). By all means, scrub and clean any foraged items to kill off any insects, but snakes mites are not one of them. Orchid bark gets bad press as a substrate which contains mites - this is mostly untrue. Often, what are mistaken as snake mites, are actually harmless fruit flies or flying ants. These are not snakes mites, are not in any way harmful to your snake, and simply die in a matter of days. As above, mites can survive in orchid bark for longer than aspen for example, due to the high humidity, but again, they do not come "from" the orchid bark, but from the shop.
How long do they live?
The full life cycle of a snake mite is completed in 16 to 19 days at a temperature and humidity range of our snakes habitats - this is from the day eggs are laid, to natural death. Mites eggs hatch in around 3 days, and are ready to begin feeding on snakes in a further 2-3 days. Feeding juveniles progress to adulthood, and live for up to a further 2 weeks, after having laid eggs.
In order to survive, progress to adulthood and lay eggs, they must feed on snake blood. Host-less, none feeding snake mites die within around 6 days relatively warm temperatures - this includes eggs which hatch, but are unable to survive as juveniles with no snake blood to feed upon, and so cannot progress to adulthood or lay eggs. Effectively, the cycle can be broken in under a week without a host.
How do I treat my snake(s) for mites?
There are a few commercially available, tried and tested mite specific treatments available, namely Callingtons and Ardap to name a couple. Care and attention should be paid to the instructions on these products, which involve spraying your snakes enclosure to kill the mites and unhatched eggs. The active ingredient in these products is D-Phenothrin at a low concentration, which is essentially a weak insecticide, lethal to snake mites but harmless to snakes at low concentration levels. All enclosures must be treated to ensure the infestation does not return.
There are a number of home methods of treating mites to varying degrees of success - such as bathing the snake regularly to drown mites and prevent their spread, or oiling the snake down with vegetable oil or olive oil to suffocate the mites. These methods will do nothing to stop the infestation and at best will only slow it down, as mites do not lay usually lay their eggs upon the snake, but somewhere warm and moist within the enclosure.
Additionally, there is a natural solution in the form of Hypoaspis Miles. These are a small predatory mites that naturally feed on snake mites. These are commercially available under a couple of brand names (Defender being one). These are introduced to the snakes enclosure where they predate on snake mites until all are consumed, and then die in absence of a food source. Note that these are completely harmless to snakes, and do no feed on the snake themselves. The reports of the success of these mites are mixed, so whilst I am prepared to give the little critters a shot myself, my advice to others would always be to use the tried and tested commercially available products first.
Can I prevent mites?
Absolutely. Most snake keepers will experience mites in their collection at some point or another purely due to the vary nature of the hobby, and these are an entirely natural parasite, but with a little knowledge and understand as to their habits, plus some basic quarantine and hygiene practices, you can go a very long way to minimising the eventuality of an infestation.
With new arrivals, basic quarantine should always be implemented, for a whole host of reasons, as well as mites. Ideally, new arrivals should be housed away from the rest of your collection, but I know this isn't always achievable. In this time, new snakes should be observed closely for any suspicious behaviours such as soaking in water bowls as mentioned above. Water bowls should be checked for dead mites, and the snake inspected frequently for signs of mites living on it - check around the eyes, mouth and chin, and for black specks under the belly and tail scales, especially around the vent. It helps to have minimal décor and use kitchen roll as substrate during this period to spot potential mites as early as possible, and handling of all snakes should be kept to a minimum - do not handle your existing snakes after handling the new snake without at least washing your hands first, and preferably a change of clothes. There are no hard and fast rules as to quarantine durations, but I would recommend no less than a month.
I treat any other property that contains snakes as potential mite hot-spots: This includes snake-keeper friends houses, and petshops. I try to avoid handling other peoples snakes where ever possible, and once home from a friends or the petshop etc, I do not handle my own snakes without washing my hands and a change of clothes first. Regarding shop-bought substrates: as it is possible for mites to be found in bags of substrate, I simply buy any bags that I need in advance - around two weeks before needing it. I keep these sealed and away from my snakes (I use my cellar). On the off chance that there were any mites or eggs in the substrate, these will die in under a week, as they are unable to feed. This breaks the cycle, and the substrate is then completely safe to use without risk.
In conclusion:
There is a high likelihood that as a snake keeper, you will experience a mite outbreak in your collection at some point. Snake mites are not the relentless terminators they are often purported to be - they are relatively fragile creatures which simply exist to survive - this just so happens to be at the expense of our hobby and the well-being of our snakes. They are somewhat preventable with a little care, easily treatable with readily available products, and little to worry about.
Yes and no. As with parasites, they are solely dependant on their host being alive in order to continually feed from it. They will, however, inadvertently contribute to it's prolonged ill health - mainly dehydration as a result of blood loss, and stress. Severe, untreated infestations however can result in death due to blood loss as a result of the sheer number of feeding mites, and blood infections are not uncommon. There is some debate that mites could possibly transfer diseases between snakes, such as IBD, but at time of writing, this is unconfirmed, yet entirely plausible.
Snake Mites pose no health risks or concerns to humans or other mammals, as they are simply unable to feed from anything other than snakes. There is another type of reptilian-specific mite known as Lizard Mites (Hirstiella trombidiiformis). Snake mites and lizard mites are completely separate species, and contamination between species is rare - they will try, given the opportunity, to feed on lizards (and vice-versa) but with reduced ability and limited success.
Where do they come from?
The $64,000 question. The short answer, is you. If you find snake mites on one of your previously all clear snakes, the chances are, you have inadvertently introduced them. By far the quickest and easiest way of introducing mites to your existing collection is by introducing a mite-ridden snake to your collection - a new purchase perhaps. Mites from this snake will will move freely between snakes within relative proximity of one another, and lay eggs in your existing snakes enclosures, beginning a fresh infestation.
Another way of introducing mites to your snakes is by visiting a location that already has snake mites - this could be the home of a snake-keeping friend, or more likely, a pet shop. Mites can cling onto your clothes, or on / in the items you purchase - notably, substrate. Mites can survive for a limited time within substrate, but they did not come from the substrate - they come from the shop that sells the substrate. There is some evidence to suggest that they can survive for longer in Orchid bark substrate over other types - this is because mites require high humidity environments (60-80%) to survive, but again, they found there way into the substrate in the first place from an infested snake, and have used the substrate as a means of transport to your house.
Adult female snake mites lay up to 20 eggs per time, and can lay up to 4 clutches in their lifetime - a single snake mite can become a mass infestation in a matter of days.
Additionally, there are a whole host of rumours as to where mites come from, ranging from complete untruths, to factual inaccuracies. They do not come from dirty enclosures: Mites are a living creature, not a bacterium. They cannot suddenly manifest themselves in an enclosure by any other means than introductions. You cannot introduce mites by using branches / rocks / moss etc foraged from your garden, local park, or woods. Snake mites are not native to the UK, or found on our only native snakes (adders and grass snakes). By all means, scrub and clean any foraged items to kill off any insects, but snakes mites are not one of them. Orchid bark gets bad press as a substrate which contains mites - this is mostly untrue. Often, what are mistaken as snake mites, are actually harmless fruit flies or flying ants. These are not snakes mites, are not in any way harmful to your snake, and simply die in a matter of days. As above, mites can survive in orchid bark for longer than aspen for example, due to the high humidity, but again, they do not come "from" the orchid bark, but from the shop.
How long do they live?
The full life cycle of a snake mite is completed in 16 to 19 days at a temperature and humidity range of our snakes habitats - this is from the day eggs are laid, to natural death. Mites eggs hatch in around 3 days, and are ready to begin feeding on snakes in a further 2-3 days. Feeding juveniles progress to adulthood, and live for up to a further 2 weeks, after having laid eggs.
In order to survive, progress to adulthood and lay eggs, they must feed on snake blood. Host-less, none feeding snake mites die within around 6 days relatively warm temperatures - this includes eggs which hatch, but are unable to survive as juveniles with no snake blood to feed upon, and so cannot progress to adulthood or lay eggs. Effectively, the cycle can be broken in under a week without a host.
How do I treat my snake(s) for mites?
There are a few commercially available, tried and tested mite specific treatments available, namely Callingtons and Ardap to name a couple. Care and attention should be paid to the instructions on these products, which involve spraying your snakes enclosure to kill the mites and unhatched eggs. The active ingredient in these products is D-Phenothrin at a low concentration, which is essentially a weak insecticide, lethal to snake mites but harmless to snakes at low concentration levels. All enclosures must be treated to ensure the infestation does not return.
There are a number of home methods of treating mites to varying degrees of success - such as bathing the snake regularly to drown mites and prevent their spread, or oiling the snake down with vegetable oil or olive oil to suffocate the mites. These methods will do nothing to stop the infestation and at best will only slow it down, as mites do not lay usually lay their eggs upon the snake, but somewhere warm and moist within the enclosure.
Additionally, there is a natural solution in the form of Hypoaspis Miles. These are a small predatory mites that naturally feed on snake mites. These are commercially available under a couple of brand names (Defender being one). These are introduced to the snakes enclosure where they predate on snake mites until all are consumed, and then die in absence of a food source. Note that these are completely harmless to snakes, and do no feed on the snake themselves. The reports of the success of these mites are mixed, so whilst I am prepared to give the little critters a shot myself, my advice to others would always be to use the tried and tested commercially available products first.
Can I prevent mites?
Absolutely. Most snake keepers will experience mites in their collection at some point or another purely due to the vary nature of the hobby, and these are an entirely natural parasite, but with a little knowledge and understand as to their habits, plus some basic quarantine and hygiene practices, you can go a very long way to minimising the eventuality of an infestation.
With new arrivals, basic quarantine should always be implemented, for a whole host of reasons, as well as mites. Ideally, new arrivals should be housed away from the rest of your collection, but I know this isn't always achievable. In this time, new snakes should be observed closely for any suspicious behaviours such as soaking in water bowls as mentioned above. Water bowls should be checked for dead mites, and the snake inspected frequently for signs of mites living on it - check around the eyes, mouth and chin, and for black specks under the belly and tail scales, especially around the vent. It helps to have minimal décor and use kitchen roll as substrate during this period to spot potential mites as early as possible, and handling of all snakes should be kept to a minimum - do not handle your existing snakes after handling the new snake without at least washing your hands first, and preferably a change of clothes. There are no hard and fast rules as to quarantine durations, but I would recommend no less than a month.
I treat any other property that contains snakes as potential mite hot-spots: This includes snake-keeper friends houses, and petshops. I try to avoid handling other peoples snakes where ever possible, and once home from a friends or the petshop etc, I do not handle my own snakes without washing my hands and a change of clothes first. Regarding shop-bought substrates: as it is possible for mites to be found in bags of substrate, I simply buy any bags that I need in advance - around two weeks before needing it. I keep these sealed and away from my snakes (I use my cellar). On the off chance that there were any mites or eggs in the substrate, these will die in under a week, as they are unable to feed. This breaks the cycle, and the substrate is then completely safe to use without risk.
In conclusion:
There is a high likelihood that as a snake keeper, you will experience a mite outbreak in your collection at some point. Snake mites are not the relentless terminators they are often purported to be - they are relatively fragile creatures which simply exist to survive - this just so happens to be at the expense of our hobby and the well-being of our snakes. They are somewhat preventable with a little care, easily treatable with readily available products, and little to worry about.
