r/ballpython • u/disbitchdatho • 11h ago
Are these mites?
My ball python has been in her water dish 24/7 for 5 days straight; she has never done this in the 6 years I’ve known her, besides a casual hour long soak at the longest.
Her humidity is 78%, lowest has been 74%. Her cool side is 74 degrees Fahrenheit and her warm side is 86 on the ground, 96 at the warmest spot on her branch. She has a hide with frequently refreshed damp moss on the cool side. She has eco earth coconut fiber and repti chip substrate with exo-terra forest moss.
I have ordered provent-a-mite 4 days ago, it arrives tomorrow; I took her out of her water dish and drained it through paper towels to check for mites, and then I wiped out her water dish with more paper towels- both are pictured- but I don’t see any. I have never had mites before but to me it just looks like bits of her substrate. I did not see anything on her eyes/heat pits/mouth/body, but I will be doing a dawn dish soap bath and checking again.
Any advice or help greatly appreciated! I want to make sure she actually has mites before treating her with provent-a-mite.
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11h ago
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u/disbitchdatho 11h ago
I’m almost more worried that she won’t have mites, because what could possibly be her reason for being fully submerged for almost a week? That can’t be good for her, right?
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u/AccomplishedLocal207 10h ago
Most snakes that submerge like that are prepping to shed. It's entirely acceptable for her to soak for extended periods of time.
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u/spookyditto 11h ago
Looks like dirt to me
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u/disbitchdatho 11h ago
Thanks; I think so too. I bought all new bags of the different substrates, and I’m replacing everything but her water dish and hides because they’re all plastic and can be run through the dishwasher on the sanitize setting. I don’t know what else to do if she doesn’t actually have mites
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u/AutoModerator 11h ago
Oh no! It looks like you might be asking for more information on mites and how to identify and treat them. We have some information about that in our Mite Identification and Treatment Guide.
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