How Do You Get Rid Of Mites On Rats?
Mites are ecto-parasites, or parasites that live outside the body of an animal. Mites can infect any animal, including pet rats. There are three types of rat mites. Radfordia ensifera is a fur mite that causes hair loss and skin lesions. Notoedres muris are burrowing mites, which affect the ears, nose, tail and genitals of the rat. Ornithonyssus bacoti are blood-sucking mites that cause anemia and transmit rickettsial blood parasites, which affect humans as well. It is important to treat these mites immediately, as they will make your pet rat extremely uncomfortable and possibly cause death. Place a new bag of cage bedding in the freezer before opening it. Mites often spread through contaminated bedding. Let the bedding sit in the freezer overnight. In the morning, remove the bedding. Remove your rat from the cage. Take out all toys, wheels and huts and set them aside. Dump out the old bedding in an outdoor trash can. Mix a solution of ¾ cup of liquid bleach and 1 gallon of warm water.
