Rats shampooed today! Mites!

[Die Fledermaus]

Spot And Blaze, and the two younger and smaller rats, Alfonse and Jiggs, got shampooed individually with a medicated pet shampoo.

It was not fun for any of us but not too bad.

I then had to clean their big cage (with the chicken wire) as I saw the damn mites! And they had them on their skin and fur.

I will keep an eye on things. There are other things I can go but I would rather avoid chemicals unless absolutely necessary.

[Dezzi]

Do you have a large freezer? Freeze their food/bedding for (I think it's 36-48hrs but I'm not 100% sure) as it will kill any mites that will have gotten in there. If your freezer isn't large enough for a full bag, you can get plastic freezer bags and freeze small amounts at a time. I know it's time consuming, but it does work!

[Die Fledermaus]

The mites are in the old bedding. I assume there is none in the new bedding,.

The freezer. I know. I have no room, especially as it is filled with dead critters I will soon bury.

Several years ago during a frigid Winter spell, I put stuff on the roof to freeze!

I want to try to avoid permethrin powder, which I can get in plant stores. I have used it before, as old threads have discussed, often.

[Andrea]

I too have a freezer of critters, a grocery bag filled actually.... so yeah "don't eat the pop tarts in the freezer" is something i tell people LOL

[Die Fledermaus]

Well, mine will be buried in a few weeks, tops. It is a major undertaking, and must be done stealthilyin the cemetery.

[Die Fledermaus]

As for the mites that caused the shampooing, etc., I spotted a very few, unfed, yesterday.

I will have to get the permethrin powder and use the spray on the rats. It is not bad but has to be dealt with in no more than several days.

[Die Fledermaus]

Today I must use the anti-mite spray. I could have used more permethrin but that would make me nervous. I used a filled 5.5 ounce empty can of cat food to measure the granules. That apparently was not enough for a big 40" GP cage.

[Die Fledermaus]

An hour ago I sprayed and massaged five squirming squealing rats with "Eight in One" Ultra Care Spray. At least two had moderate mites, in the usually place - hindquarters mostly.

Extra permethrin granules were put in the new bedding. And other measures were taken.

This was NOT an enjoyable task.

I also got three new male rats - hooded black and whites. They are in the big old GP cage that the late Lester shared with Sam (who is now in with Chris, who lost his Frosty some time ago). The rats are older and big enough not to be able to squeeze through the bars. I added some permethrin in their bedding as a prophylactic.