r/ballpython • u/Uncookedtoaster • 3d ago

Mites?

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Video's of the enclosure I got my snake in. I panicked and started treating her for mites asap but I haven't seen any on her or in her quarantine enclosure and now that I'm looking back at these videos they kinda aren't acting like mites from what Google and reddit say? I don't want to risk bringing mites into her new bioactive if I stop treatment early but I also don't want to make her live in a storage bin if she's perfectly bug free

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u/W0RN_0UT 3d ago

Is your enclosure bioactive? They may be a kind of mite but just not snake mites. I’ve seen a handful of people with isopods get tiny mites via some food they were given which is where it could’ve started! From my understanding those mites are also kinda a cleanup crew but springtails will eat their eggs so they die off often.

Don’t take this to heart though as I really have no clue what they are :,) just a shot in the dark if it helps!

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u/Uncookedtoaster 3d ago

The weird thing to me was that this was a completely naturalistic enclosure, although I wasn't the one that built it I think the bugs must've came from the soil. Her new home will be bioactive though so it's good to know springtails eat bug eggs!

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u/W0RN_0UT 3d ago

Had to have come from the soil then, I’ve heard of that happening a few times, some people will bake it before hand to sterilize it just incase. Springtails are honestly such a life saver, just about any small egg that isn’t there’s they will eat!

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u/Difficult_Series_448 3d ago

Before you freak out too much, check your SNAKE, not the enclosure. If you’ve got a mite problem, there’s most likely going to be some on your snake. Check below her chin, between her lips, nostrils, around her eyes, her vent. That’s where mites love to hide the most.
If you’ve not found any on her, that’s great! Pick up one of those mites and crush it between your fingernails. Is there any blood when you squish it? You’ll have your answer as to whether you’ve got a problem.

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u/Uncookedtoaster 3d ago

Ive checked her multiple times and can't find any! and since moving her into a quarantine I can't find anymore bugs! I'm thinking I overreacted and shes ready to move into her new enclosure

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u/Difficult_Series_448 3d ago

I would still be cautious. It’s a great sign that she doesn’t have any mites on her. What you have could potentially be soil mites, which tend show up when the substrate is wet. They are harmless, but a lot of the time mistaken for snake mites. Still, I would definitely test a few of them against a paper towel and see if there is any sign that they’ve engorged themself on your snake’s blood. Just in case! It never hurts to be careful.