Nix Creme Rinse for Mites

Nix as a treatment for Reptile Mites (Ophionyssus natricis).

Mites are an ectoparasite that prey on the blood of reptiles but most commonly found on snakes. They are not fatal to the animal if found in small numbers but nevertheless must be treated and eradicated to prevent the numbers from spreading. Reptiles mites are highly contagious to other reptiles but not to humans or other mammal pets. 

There are many methods of eradication all with debatable effectiveness versus toxicity of the product being used. Nix is commercially available as a children's lice shampoo with very low toxicity allowance which is why it is commonly used for children's lice. When searched online, there exists popular discussions about the toxicity of Nix and the ill effects on reptiles but in all of these cases, the product was used without dilution and left for too long of a time period on the animal.  

Please see recommended guideline below in the Care Sheet section for use on infested reptiles. These are to be used as a guideline only and common sense and good judgement on the part of the user is expected for the effectiveness to be in full.

 

Availability: In stock

$22.99
OR
SKU 5916910A
Can Be Shipped Yes

Materials Required: 

  1. 1 NEW Spray bottle (to be disposed of after use).
  2. 1 bottle of Nix.
  3. 1 Gallon or 4 Litres of regular tap water. Distilled water recommended for sterile environments. Distilled water will also maintain effectiveness for up to 12 months at room temperature away from light. Regular tap water, to the best of our knowledge, will maintain effectiveness for at least 4 weeks. We have not tested the maximum longevity. 
  4. 1 plastic container with lid that your snake fits into. If you are also using the plastic container as a quarantine box, then also make sure you put airholes into it.  

Directions:

  1. Mix one bottle of Nix to 4L of water, or half a bottle to 2L, or quarter bottle to 1L, etc...
  2. Shake solution in the spray bottle until the solution homogenizes and becomes a cloudy liquid in the bottle.
  3. Remove all bedding and any porous objects from terrarium and dispose of it all. 
  4. Place animal into the bare plastic container and spray liberally paying close attention to the face, ears, chin area, vents, and facial heat pits. Let Nix sit for 5 minutes.
  5. Rinse the reptile of the Nix in regular warm tap water.
  6. Place the reptile in quarantine with only newspaper or paper towel as a substrate. Avoid feeding during this time but you may offer a dish of clean water. 
  7. Repeat twice a week, for 2 weeks., even if you no longer see the mites!
  8. While the animal is in quarantine, take this time to fully clean out its terrarium. DO  A FULL CLEAN! Consider it spring cleaning!!! If you are not thorough, then the mites will come back!

If these directions are followed then the mites will be gone assuming that you do not come in contact with other reptiles that are also infected. Mites will travel on clothes, furniture, carpet, etc... the same as bed bugs, lice or fleas do. It is very important to be thorough! Always rememeber to fully inspect your animal at the time of purchase whether you are buying from a petstore, a friend, an expo, or a stranger on the Internet. 

 

Certain Item can be shipped and others can not. Please be aware, that if an item is not shippable, then after purchase you will receive a confirmation email letting you know when your purchase is ready for pickup. If an item is Shippable, then we will ship the product to you using your shipping choice. If a purchase is made containing both shippable and non-shippable products, then we will ship those products that are able to get shipped to you, while the others will need to get picked up. If you have any questions feel free to contact us anytime.