bugs

Question
Hi Eric - i have a red tailed boa and today i notcied a tiny tiny bug crawling on her tree in her cage - it was so small that i could not tell if it was brown or clearish - i could only see that one and there was ntohing on the snake - could this be one of the bugs that snakes can get or possibly just a insect that got into the cage?

Answer
Hello John,

There is no way for me to completely say what it is. My best guess would be a mite. If you are noticing bugs inside the cage you should immediately remove your snake from its enclosure and disinfect the enclose, do the same for the plants whether real or not you need to make a solution with one part bleach and 9 parts water. Mix this in a spray bottle and mark clearly of the substance inside. Spray down every inch of the tree and enclosure.

Thoroughly inspect your boa. Places mites like to hide include the nostrils, under the head in the groves of the bottom jaw, around the cloaca or anus of the snake and around the head. If you have doubts, soak your snake in a tub of water deep enough to cover its body. This should help drown the little buggers. If that does not help you can use vegetable oil, you will rub this all over your snake and leave on. Give your snake a bath the next day. They also sell a mite remover at Pet Smart for reptiles called JurassiMite. I have used some before with great success.

The problem is that even if it is not a mite it could have a possibility of carrying some decease that could potentially harm your snake and even may cause death.

I hope this helps you John, and if you have any other questions don't hesitate to ask.

Good Luck.
Eric Rovegno
www.ballpythonplanet.com