» Treating Mites, With Diary of Treatments

[Autumn]

Step 1: (This is the biggest step and the most time consuming). Clean each hamster cage normally and then follow it up with a 10% bleach bath for ten minutes (9 parts water, 1 part bleach). The soaking can be time consuming and probably not something you want to do in the house. You can get those big 18 gallon storage bins. Of course your bathtub will work too though you'll have to calculate how many gallons it holds. When you remove the cage for cleaning, immediately spray the spot and area around where the cage was sitting with the home flea and tick spray. (The Hartz UltraGuard Flea & Tick Home Spray (0.28% Permethrin) is very effective and has residual activity for seven months- Walmart $5.99 for 22 oz.). Use the BioSpot dip on the hamster 1/2 tsp per 8oz of water, treat it with ivermectin orally, and put it into a cage that has gone through the bleach treatment. Get them completely wet with it though if you're hesitant, you could skip their heads.

Also, if you're having a big problem with the mites, you also might want to treat them with the ivermectin every two to three days as the ivermectin is out of their bloodstream in about 36 hours. I think you'll find the Bio Spot Pyrethrin dip is very effective. The dip is so much more effective than a flea-and-tick shampoo and remember, don't rinse the dip off. It's the Pyrethrin that's so effective so if you can't find the Bio Spot dip in your local stores, you'll want to find a dip that is its equilvalent (0.97% Pyrethrin).

Step 2: 10-14 days later, clean the cages as you normally do and then treat the hamster with Ivermectin.

Step 3: Repeat step 2 until you feel the mites are completely gone.


**While Step 1 is a great deal of work, if you do it you really won't see many mites after that. Dipping the hamster gets rid of all the mites on the hamster. I've tried the bird mite sprays, small animal flea and tick sprays, and normal flea and tick shampoos, none of which even compare to the Pyrethrin dip. The Flea and Tick Home Spray is also very effective- I can't tell you how many dead ones I was accumulating on the shelves (the one drawback of the spray- you really can't clean them up without washing off the spray). I've tried so many things- other sprays, bug bombs, doubling up bug bombs, garden pet spray (which does work but has very strong fumes- which I would have to assume are toxic) and have been the happiest with this spray.

**For the ivermectin you want to buy the 1% injectable solution for swine and cattle. Ivomec is the name brand but generics works just fine too. Dilute the ivermectin in propylene glycol: one part ivermectin to nine parts propylene glycol. You treat with one drop mouth and one drop between their shoulder blades. If you have a dwarf instead of doing 2 drops, you only want to do 1 drop.

I have found that Valley Vet Supply is the cheapest place to purchase both these items:

http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_product_group....DF-DA391BC28FA4

http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pg...ec-8f4d16d5d636

http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pg...92-00b0d0204ae5


Or if you don't want to purchase a whole gallon of the Propylene Gylcol:

http://www.caprinesupply.com search for Propylene Glycol, they sell it by the pint and by the gallon.

Also, to get the ivermectin out of the bottle, you'll need a syringe. I use the large turkey injectors like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/EKCO-123-FLAVOR-INJECT...p3286.m20.l1116

Definitely get one with a plunger that looks like the one in the photo. If you get the ones with a black plunger, they don't last that long.

Lastly, you'll need to use something to get the ivermectin onto the hamsters. I've found that O-Ring Syringes with tips work the best:

http://www.squirrelstore.com/site/744999/product/2222

http://www.squirrelstore.com/site/744999/product/J

Definitely use the tips with the syringe. They can bite them up and then you just replace the tip and don't waste a whole syringe. They're also smaller and easier to get into their mouths. The O-Ring syringes are really nice and dispense very slowly. They also last a long time.

It is very important to follow the dosages provided. If in doubt ask. If still in doubt do a lessor dose..


information provided and used by http://www.holmdenhillhaven.com/





****since the comment has been made several times that mites are microscopic I thought that I would add a few photos of my BEC male. You can clearly see the mites on him***

[Genie]

Brilliant post Autumn This does seem to be one of the most commonly asked questions and a useful guide like this is just what we need. Saves everyone writing it out each time it's asked

[Autumn]

I am going out tomorrow to pick up all of the stuff. I will take a photo of it and post it. I will also give updates as to how many mites I am seeing and how things are working out. Hopefully within no time at all I will be able to announce that I am mite free. I will however continue to treat with the meds for 2-3 months. MAYBE 4 depending on how I am feeling by the 3rd month and how things are looking.

[Autumn]

Day 1

Today I got all of the items listed above for treating mites as well as a few extra. The extras were 2 rolls of carpet tape (double sided tape), bird mite spray,and some flea and tick powder.

First I removed all of the hamsters from the Hamster area and placed them into containers.

I soaked all of my tanks for a total of 22 minutes in bleach water. I soaked them in my bath tub so I had to flip them over in order to completely soak them. So it was 11 minutes for each side. I then set them outside in the sun. I could only soak 3 at a time. While the tanks were soaking I sprayed the entire room, including the floor and ceiling, down with the Hartz flea and tick spray. I let this dry and sprayed it down again. After the second coat dried I sprinkled the flea and tick powder onto all of the shelves, and the floor under the shelves. I thought about putting it on the floor in front of the shelves, however because I have kids and dogs I did not do this. I then spray a light mist of the Hartz flea and tick spray over the powder so that it would not get into the air. I did this in between putting tanks into the tub and flipping them.

After I finished with the cleaning and spraying down of the Hamster Room I then began giving all of the hamsters 1 drop of Ivermectin.

When the last tank was placed outside for rinsing I placed all of the wheels and water bottles into the bleach water. While the wheels and bottles soaked I stepped outside and scrubbed the tanks all down with dish soap. I then proceeded to rinse all of the tanks down making sure that I had all of the soap and bleach removed. After this was done I removed the bottles and wheels from the bleach and rinsed them very well several times to make sure there was no bleach left on the inside of the bottles.

I then took each tank back into the Hamster Room and placed them on the shelves. Once I had them all back inside I put bedding into the tanks. After placing in fresh bedding I sprayed a light mist of the Bird Mite spray on the INSIDE of the tank and on the bedding. I then placed in the food. Once I had all of the tanks ready I began the dipping process of the hamsters. I highly recommend that you get the entire hamster wet from nose to tail. The first hamster I placed into the solution I could visibly see the mites go to the head and ears when the back and neck became wet with the solution. I found it easiest to place them into a pitcher for the dipping. After the hamster was completely wet I removed them from the solution and placed them in a towel to transport them over to their tank, then gently placed them back into the tank. I did not put any nesting material into the tank until the hamsters had all been in their tanks for 10 minutes to insure that the nesting material did not become wet.

After I got the last hamster done I removed all of the containers they had been in from the house. I then took the tape and put it around the outside of the tank along the top rim. This way any mites that may not have gotten killed will get stuck in the tape in their travels to infest another tank. Thus stopping the spreading.

When the hamster room was completed and everything had been cleaned up I went back outside and emptied the trash and sprayed the trash bin down with the flea and tick spray. I emptied the bins outside so that any flying bedding could not get all over the house, with possible mites or eggs on it. I also sprayed down the area that I had used as a holding for the hamsters while they waited to be placed back into their tanks.

That is it. Everything has been done and the only mites I am currently seeing are dead mites.

I will give another update in 3 days when I give another treatment of the Ivermectin, hopefully the update will be that I continue to be mite free, or at the very least that I am seeing only very few mites.


If you have any questions, or need help with anything please let me know and I will gladly assist in anyway that I can.

Now I am finally going to bed after a long hard day. It was long, hard, tiring, and stressful...not to mention itchy. I am rather exhausted.

[Autumn]

Day 3

Today was med day. After a close inspection of everyone and their bedding I was not able to find a single mite. Everyone was given their dose of the Inver. 1 drop orally and 1 drop topical. No one was happy to be getting meds again. However I am happy to not see any mites, and I am sure they are happy to not be itching.


I can tell that everyone is still a bit upset with the days events from the treatment 3 days ago, they are all a bit testy. I am hoping that they will calm down in the next few days.

2 of my girls are very round and due tomorrow. I am glad that they will be having their pups in a mite free tank.

[Autumn]

Day 6

Today was med day again. I am more than happy to report that we still have no sign of 1 single mite.....

Everyone was once again less than happy to be getting medicine. But I am sure that they are happy to be rid of the little blood suckers.

Both of my girls did deliver on the 9th. I have had a good look at both of the nests while the moms were getting their medicine. Happily there are no signs on mites in the nests. Experience taught me that the mites will attack the weak before the strong, as well as the newporn pups. I was worried that I would find mites in both of the nests, but have not found anything at all.


Lets hope for the same again in 3 days.

[Autumn]

Day 15


Well with everything going here at the house I have been slack in doing updates.

However, we are still 100% mite free. I am so happy. Before doing this treatment I was seeing mites again within 3-4 days. Now I am on 15 days and not seen a single mite.

[OzzyBubbaSawyer09]

yay autumn i am so happy for you


can you help me with my hamster food problem in the dwarf hamster section

[Soosy]

I'm so relieved to hear that Autumn It must have been a nightmare!

[Autumn]

Well it has been almost a month since i did the treatment. Just did another cleaning, and meds all around. Not a single sign of mites anywhere....I am going to keep giving the meds for about 4 more weeks then I will say I am offically in the clear

[Soosy]

It's been a long hard battle but you've won

I'm so pleased

[moletteuk]

That's brilliant news

[jenifry65]

a long hard battle but your winning at last

[Autumn]

Still mite free and it feels wonderful. I have been spraying the bedding with the bird mite spray when i do cleanings. That combined with the inver and the spray on the shelves seems to have demolished them. I am ready to start planning the mite free party...another week and I will say I am offically mite free

[Soosy]

Fantastic - let's hope they never come back