No, that won't help. If they are mites, they'll be round and red or black in color. Your bet bet is to go to Wal-mart (if you're in the U.S.) and buy a can of Equate bedding spray, which is found in the pharmacy section with the head lice products. It has the exact same ingredients as the most popular mite sprays on the market but for only a fourth of the price. Clean the cage and spray this and repeat the process in a month.
You probably won't like this answer because the solution to getting rid of mites is long and difficult, but it will work. Reptile mites can jump on people and hang out until they find another reptile and then jump off. I managed a pet store for years and I unfortunately once brought home some mites to a prize lizard (of a species which is now threatened, I might add) and they got on him, got in his lungs, gave him pneumonia, and eventually killed him. I will forever feel guilty even though these things do happen and I know I wasn't precisely at fault.
So:
Remove your lizards from the enclosure and put them in an empty glass tank with just a WHITE paper towel along the bottom. (You'll see why in a bit)
Take the enclosure outside along with three garbage bags, a hose, some bleach, and a change of clothing.
Strip the enclosure. Throw away all bedding and ANY AND ALL porous material- live plants, sticks, logs, wooden climbing/basking structures. Then dump a cup of bleach into the enclosure and slosh it around. Scrub any rocks/plastic/ceramic/bowls with a stiff brush. Let it sit for a few minutes, hit it with the hose. Let the enclosure and remaining accessories air dry in the sun to remove the chlorine fumes.
Double bag the garbage and put it immediately in a can well away from the house. Dump some more bleach over the bag.
Now strip and put your clothes in the last garbage bag and go upstairs, put them immediately in the washer, and take a shower. (Bet you feel itchy, at this point, anyway)
Make your lizards a nice warm bath in a deep dishpan or cat litter pan and take a very soft (baby's) hairbrush or toothbrush, lather it up with Dawn dish detergent, and gently scrub them. You can dab some Dawn on a Q-tip and use it around the eyes, genitals, and mouth. Dawn is perfectly safe for all animals- it is used to clean oil off birds in the Gulf spills and also used on very young pups and kittens that can't handle insecticide to remove fleas. Let the bubbles sit for a few minutes to kill the mites, then rinse the lizards, thoroughly rinse the brush, and scrub them gently again with just warm water. Dry them gently with a clean paper towel- throw it immediately in the toilet and flush, then let them sit in the paper towel aquarium until they are dry. The white paper towel will immediately pinpoint any live, crawling mites.
Once the enclosure is dry you can put them back in but I suggest leaving out any porous materials and only using towels on the bottom until you are sure mites are gone.
If you did not eliminate mites then you need a reptile or exotic animal vet to give your pets some Ivermectin to kill the mites or they will eventually kill your lizards.
So- keep in mind when handling others' reptiles at shows, stores, or friends' houses that you can bring home some univited guests. Always wash your hands immediately after holding others' animals, and when you get home, directly strip, wash your clothes, and shower.
Yes,you should be able to kill them with a steamer,but of course don't use it when the lizard is in the enclosure. I would not use any chemical sprays. If you have to,completely replace the bedding and thoroughly scrub the tank with hot bleach water,then rinse very well,then put in the bedding and the lizards.
Oh,you will have to treat the lizards as well.Go to the pet store and see what they have to kill mites on reptiles.
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
No, that won't help. If they are mites, they'll be round and red or black in color. Your bet bet is to go to Wal-mart (if you're in the U.S.) and buy a can of Equate bedding spray, which is found in the pharmacy section with the head lice products. It has the exact same ingredients as the most popular mite sprays on the market but for only a fourth of the price. Clean the cage and spray this and repeat the process in a month.
You probably won't like this answer because the solution to getting rid of mites is long and difficult, but it will work. Reptile mites can jump on people and hang out until they find another reptile and then jump off. I managed a pet store for years and I unfortunately once brought home some mites to a prize lizard (of a species which is now threatened, I might add) and they got on him, got in his lungs, gave him pneumonia, and eventually killed him. I will forever feel guilty even though these things do happen and I know I wasn't precisely at fault.
So:
Remove your lizards from the enclosure and put them in an empty glass tank with just a WHITE paper towel along the bottom. (You'll see why in a bit)
Take the enclosure outside along with three garbage bags, a hose, some bleach, and a change of clothing.
Strip the enclosure. Throw away all bedding and ANY AND ALL porous material- live plants, sticks, logs, wooden climbing/basking structures. Then dump a cup of bleach into the enclosure and slosh it around. Scrub any rocks/plastic/ceramic/bowls with a stiff brush. Let it sit for a few minutes, hit it with the hose. Let the enclosure and remaining accessories air dry in the sun to remove the chlorine fumes.
Double bag the garbage and put it immediately in a can well away from the house. Dump some more bleach over the bag.
Now strip and put your clothes in the last garbage bag and go upstairs, put them immediately in the washer, and take a shower. (Bet you feel itchy, at this point, anyway)
Make your lizards a nice warm bath in a deep dishpan or cat litter pan and take a very soft (baby's) hairbrush or toothbrush, lather it up with Dawn dish detergent, and gently scrub them. You can dab some Dawn on a Q-tip and use it around the eyes, genitals, and mouth. Dawn is perfectly safe for all animals- it is used to clean oil off birds in the Gulf spills and also used on very young pups and kittens that can't handle insecticide to remove fleas. Let the bubbles sit for a few minutes to kill the mites, then rinse the lizards, thoroughly rinse the brush, and scrub them gently again with just warm water. Dry them gently with a clean paper towel- throw it immediately in the toilet and flush, then let them sit in the paper towel aquarium until they are dry. The white paper towel will immediately pinpoint any live, crawling mites.
Once the enclosure is dry you can put them back in but I suggest leaving out any porous materials and only using towels on the bottom until you are sure mites are gone.
If you did not eliminate mites then you need a reptile or exotic animal vet to give your pets some Ivermectin to kill the mites or they will eventually kill your lizards.
So- keep in mind when handling others' reptiles at shows, stores, or friends' houses that you can bring home some univited guests. Always wash your hands immediately after holding others' animals, and when you get home, directly strip, wash your clothes, and shower.
GOOD LUCK TO YOU
Yes,you should be able to kill them with a steamer,but of course don't use it when the lizard is in the enclosure. I would not use any chemical sprays. If you have to,completely replace the bedding and thoroughly scrub the tank with hot bleach water,then rinse very well,then put in the bedding and the lizards.
Oh,you will have to treat the lizards as well.Go to the pet store and see what they have to kill mites on reptiles.