# Tortoise Mites



## Lauren Silla (Nov 22, 2014)

My tortoise has mites and Im looking for advice on how to treat them. My vet said to use Provent A Mite every two weeks but spraying him on each leg and also spraying his newspaper. He also told me to clean everything with diluted bleach (container, water and food bowl, rock ext). 



Does anyone have experience with mites or Provent A Mite? Any advise or incite would be appreciated


----------



## Aaron Frederick (Nov 22, 2014)

I know a guy who uses prevent a mite on his red tail boas cages. He never sprays his snakes with it just the enclosure. Hope this helps.


----------



## Lauren Silla (Nov 22, 2014)

Thanks for the reply! Ive heard treating snakes and tortoises is deferent and I can only find advice for snakes


----------



## Yvonne G (Nov 22, 2014)

Hi Lauren, and welcome to the forum!

I suspect what you are seeing are springtails, and not mites. They live in the moist substrate and are not harmful to the tortoise. Change out the substrate and clean out the tort habitat real good and that should take care of it for the time being. But, more than likely they will come back.


----------



## Lauren Silla (Nov 22, 2014)

No, I had the vet check and they are definitely mites


----------



## Aaron Frederick (Nov 22, 2014)

I had a red tail boa as well about 5 years ago and he had a bad case of mites. The pet store told me to soak the snake. It killed a lot of them but he died a week after I got him. Maybe try and soak him more than usual.


----------



## Lauren Silla (Nov 23, 2014)

Does anyone have experience with tortoise mites?


----------



## Iochroma (Nov 25, 2014)

Is your tortoise a recent wild caught individual? Do you know how it came to be affected with mites?
Are there native reptiles in the area where it is caged? Do you own other reptiles? All these will need attention too.
I can't think of any reason not to use Provent A Mite, but it does seem odd that your vet didn't give you something when you were there (like Fipronil). 
Soak your tort, so he's well-hydrated. Dry him. Treat, and wipe dry. At the same time, dispose of all bedding, and soak all cage furnishings in a 5% bleach solution for at least ten minutes. Spray the cage down with PAM or a similar miticide. Then LET EVERYTHING DRY AND AIR OUT thoroughly before putting him back in the environment. Don't be surprised if you have the little parasites show up again. Rinse, repeat, etc.


----------



## AmRoKo (Nov 27, 2014)

do you use a wood type substrate? Because if so then they are probably just wood mites. Wood mites eat... wood.


----------



## stojanovski92113 (Nov 28, 2014)

AmRoKo said:


> do you use a wood type substrate? Because if so then they are probably just wood mites. Wood mites eat... wood.


I was wondering if I have mites..... In my cypress mulch. Tiny little microscopic silver nasty son of guns. And they are on my torts. They are not springtails. So are these mites


----------



## AmRoKo (Nov 28, 2014)

stojanovski92113 said:


> I was wondering if I have mites..... In my cypress mulch. Tiny little microscopic silver nasty son of guns. And they are on my torts. They are not springtails. So are these mites



You don't really have to worry about springtails or wood mites. They just like to eat the stuff in the torts enviroment.


----------



## stojanovski92113 (Nov 28, 2014)

AmRoKo said:


> You don't really have to worry about springtails or wood mites. They just like to eat the stuff in the torts enviroment.


I have NEVER had such an issue with little bugs like I did this year. Fruit flies, tiny red spiders (zillions of them) & mites. As long as my babies are ok, I'm ok


----------



## AmRoKo (Nov 28, 2014)

stojanovski92113 said:


> I have NEVER had such an issue with little bugs like I did this year. Fruit flies, tiny red spiders (zillions of them) & mites. As long as my babies are ok, I'm ok



The tiny red spiders are probably just clover mites, also something that likes the same environment as torts. Clover mites eat the vegetation lol.


----------



## stojanovski92113 (Nov 28, 2014)

AmRoKo said:


> The tiny red spiders are probably just clover mites, also something that likes the same environment as torts. Clover mites eat the vegetation lol.


Now I feel much better...I took my entire tortoise table apart & threw all the substrate away. Baked the new mulch & somehow there is still some spider things lurking around here and there  LOL


----------



## deadheadvet (Dec 1, 2014)

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Mites-on-snake-ball-python.104327/
This is how you get rid of mites effectively and safely.


----------

