MITES

Mites are little (adults are the size of a dot, eggs and young aren't visible to the naked eye) black insects that get underneath snakes' scales and feed off of their blood. Mites have to come from a host; they don't come from things like dirty cages and squalid living conditions. You can usually see adult mites underneath the scales and crawling over the snakes. It's also easy to spot mites in their water dish; they will be little black specks with legs.

If a snake is found with mites there are several steps you need to go through to get rid of them and prevent them from coming back. It should be immediately quarantined to prevent the spread of the infestation. If one snake has mites it can easily spread throughout your entire collection.

Your snake should be soaked in lukewarm water that has some Reptile Relief (a commercially produced product) or dish soap in the water. Either of the two will kill the mites, don't be worried if the snake drinks the water. I'm never seen negative ramifications come of it. Soak the snake for about 30 minutes.

After you've soaked the snake take a towel and allow the snake to slither through the towel but wrap it tightly around the snake. This will remove any mites that are leftover. The snake's enclosure and all decorations should be cleaned thoroughly with a cleaning product and bleach. I also advise the use of a mite preventative such Provent-A-Mite or Reptile Relief. Provent-A-Mite is a lot stronger; it should only be used away from animals with adequate enough ventilation. After using the strong spray don't return the snake to its home for another 30 minutes. Reptile Relief is not nearly as strong, the snake can be returned shortly after the application. Make sure that, whichever one is used, it is sprayed evenly over the enclosure.