Mites?

[Little Ones]

We adopted our piggy BB from a rescue almost two weeks ago. The rescue didn’t ever see much of him because of how terrified he was of people. He’s come out of his shell a bit more now and we’ve noticed he’s a very itchy piggy. He’s a Californian so has a smooth coat but it’s very thick. He’s been shedding quite a bit so we weren’t sure if the shedding was causing itching as the loose hair may be getting trapped under the thickness of his coat - if that makes sense.
If you sit and pet him, he gets itchy and goes to scratch himself with his mouth a lot. Anyway, today I noticed a bald spot right where he’d get it with his mouth:

Does this look like it could be from mites? I’ve never dealt with them before so have no idea. His cagemate, Little, is showing no signs of itching or discomfort.
BB is still very scared but is even more terrified of anyone who isn’t me so I’m anxious about taking him to the vets in case he regresses.
Could this be mites? And can any vet diagnose mites? Or do I need an exotic? I’m unable to get to any exotic vets at the moment, as my nan usually drives me and she is currently isolating after being in close contact with someone who tested positive. She comes out of isolation on Wednesday. We can definitely get to regular vets though as they are local.
Thank you in advance

 

[Little Ones]

I should also add that this couldn’t be from Little either. Little only has top incisors so is unable to bite down or pull with his teeth

 

[Claire W]

Any vets should be able to diagnose mites. I’d take him for a check up if he is biting the area and losing fur

 

[VickiA]

Best course of action is to get a vet to find the cause of the issue and to prescribe the correct treatment. Hope you get on ok at the vets.

 

[Little Ones]

Thank you both.
Do you think I’m able to wait until Wednesday/Thursday and just keep my eye on it? Or would that be too late?
I’ve just remembered that one of the exotic vets allows you to go in the room with them whilst the regular, local vets don’t. I think BB would get on better with me there.

 

[VickiA]

While it isn’t urgent (life or death), you have already got hair loss, irritation, biting and scratching. That is only going to get worse until diagnosed and treated. I wouldn’t wait 5-6 days watching my piggy in discomfort. So really, the sooner you can get him seen the better.

 

[Little Ones]

While it isn’t urgent (life or death), you have already got hair loss, irritation, biting and scratching. That is only going to get worse until diagnosed and treated. I wouldn’t wait 5-6 days watching my piggy in discomfort. So really, the sooner you can get him seen the better.

Right, thank you! I’ll get an appointment tomorrow with the local vet for as soon as. If they don’t see anything to do with mites, then I’ll take him to the exotics for investigation thank you again

 

[VickiA]

I think that’s very sensible

 

[Claire W]

Let us know how you get on at the vets x

 

[Free Ranger]

Shedding can also be when an outdoor pig moves indoors or even an indoor pig in winter because the heating is off and on but bald bits are not typical.

We've had mites from Blue Cross piggies before (twice!) and while they are routinely treated there it's probably picked up in the surroundings - high turnover rate of pigs in and out etc. We've always found them pretty easy to get rid of (we are indoor pigs) - our vet prescribes us xeno 450 ivermectin spot-on solution which simply goes onto bare skin (like behind the ears) but if you have useful bald patches you'll be spoilt for choice! There's different types of mites and lice but I can't remember anything being pig-exclusive so all vets should know about them and I'm pretty certain they don't trouble people - we've never caught an itch ourselves. One thing is that if it's mites the ivermectin is supposed to make the mite sort of spasm so the piggy might be scratching up a storm the first day after treatment - you can ask about this if they don't mention it. Lice can usually be seen but mites are much smaller and can be hard to identify even with a microscope which is why I like the spot-on stuff because it kills the lot (and none of mine have had any side effects). If you have a good infestation there are sometimes tiny black dots among the base of the fur round the rump: mite excrement I think - an this is the area we typically see hair loss. The vet often takes a few hairs and pulls very gently - and we've seen them just come away in a little clump (albeit with a squeak!) We had something once the vet called 'walking dandruff' because that's what they looked like! You can actually buy the xeno without prescription in the UK but it's always good to see the vet at least the first time and get their opinion on things... particularly regarding weights of animals and repeat dosing etc. Luckily my itchy pigs were all around 1 - 1.2 kilo so it was just 1 tube each time but if you've got a tiddler or a giant there might be some tweaking. Or they might give you something completely different!

Note 1: Make a careful note of any repeat dosing instructions: for ivermectin we've been prescribed 3 treatments each 2 weeks apart (effective) and 2 treatments each 3 weeks apart (not effective - they came back) but it depends on the life-cycle of the critter and I suspect the 3 doses version is more of a catch-all treatment!

Note 2: I personally dose and leave everything about 24-48 hours (in case anybody who's fallen off wants to climb back on again) then do a clean out - hot water and a sloosh of white vinegar. After the final dose (and the final 24-48 hours) it's the same process. I don't bath anyone but I do clean brushes and combs.

Note 3: If treatment is effective you might find Cali's nervous personality calms down a bit!

Good luck - it never rains but it pours! ☺

 

[Little Ones]

Shedding can also be when an outdoor pig moves indoors or even an indoor pig in winter because the heating is off and on but bald bits are not typical.

We've had mites from Blue Cross piggies before (twice!) and while they are routinely treated there it's probably picked up in the surroundings - high turnover rate of pigs in and out etc. We've always found them pretty easy to get rid of (we are indoor pigs) - our vet prescribes us xeno 450 ivermectin spot-on solution which simply goes onto bare skin (like behind the ears) but if you have useful bald patches you'll be spoilt for choice! There's different types of mites and lice but I can't remember anything being pig-exclusive so all vets should know about them and I'm pretty certain they don't trouble people - we've never caught an itch ourselves. One thing is that if it's mites the ivermectin is supposed to make the mite sort of spasm so the piggy might be scratching up a storm the first day after treatment - you can ask about this if they don't mention it. Lice can usually be seen but mites are much smaller and can be hard to identify even with a microscope which is why I like the spot-on stuff because it kills the lot (and none of mine have had any side effects). If you have a good infestation there are sometimes tiny black dots among the base of the fur round the rump: mite excrement I think - an this is the area we typically see hair loss. The vet often takes a few hairs and pulls very gently - and we've seen them just come away in a little clump (albeit with a squeak!) We had something once the vet called 'walking dandruff' because that's what they looked like! You can actually buy the xeno without prescription in the UK but it's always good to see the vet at least the first time and get their opinion on things... particularly regarding weights of animals and repeat dosing etc. Luckily my itchy pigs were all around 1 - 1.2 kilo so it was just 1 tube each time but if you've got a tiddler or a giant there might be some tweaking. Or they might give you something completely different!

Note 1: Make a careful note of any repeat dosing instructions: for ivermectin we've been prescribed 3 treatments each 2 weeks apart (effective) and 2 treatments each 3 weeks apart (not effective - they came back) but it depends on the life-cycle of the critter and I suspect the 3 doses version is more of a catch-all treatment!

Note 2: I personally dose and leave everything about 24-48 hours (in case anybody who's fallen off wants to climb back on again) then do a clean out - hot water and a sloosh of white vinegar. After the final dose (and the final 24-48 hours) it's the same process. I don't bath anyone but I do clean brushes and combs.

Note 3: If treatment is effective you might find Cali's nervous personality calms down a bit!

Good luck - it never rains but it pours! ☺

Thank you for all the info.
I looked earlier at the bald spot, and the skin under the hair surrounding it looked quite dry and flaky. I did notice one black dot too, I thought it might be mite excrement but because there was only one I wasn’t too sure.
What do I do about the cage mate? Does he need to be treated also if there are mites? Do I have to take him with us to the vet so he can be prescribed treatment even if there’s no signs of itching or anything?

We have an appointment booked for 3:45 tomorrow. I’m hoping he isn’t too scared and that they don’t hurt him

 

[Free Ranger]

I've always treated everyone. George brought them in when he arrived and I didn't spot it for a few weeks, then realised that he was increasingly itchy but I only saw Ivy scratch once. After the very first treatment she finally let him in the 'cave' area and I suspect that she had been trying to keep him and his 'leedle friends' at arms length! I'd take them both in but explain that one is the suspect and one is his cage-mate. To be honest, (unless there's a good reason not to treat Little) if they didn't treat both pigs I'd want to know why. And they might fret if apart now... after all they don't understand it's only temporary and they'll be thinking, "he's gone..."

Try not to worry. Of all the things we've seen the vet for this has been the least worrying - it's just a bit of a faff - but for those itchy pigs the difference after treatment can be profound

 

[David Piggie Lover]

Right, thank you! I’ll get an appointment tomorrow with the local vet for as soon as. If they don’t see anything to do with mites, then I’ll take him to the exotics for investigation thank you again

Best of luck with vet. .
Lots postive here... you have a idea what's up and if it is mites or some other critters then can be treated .
Best of luck to you and piggies.

 

[VickiA]

Thank you for all the info.
I looked earlier at the bald spot, and the skin under the hair surrounding it looked quite dry and flaky. I did notice one black dot too, I thought it might be mite excrement but because there was only one I wasn’t too sure.
What do I do about the cage mate? Does he need to be treated also if there are mites? Do I have to take him with us to the vet so he can be prescribed treatment even if there’s no signs of itching or anything?

We have an appointment booked for 3:45 tomorrow. I’m hoping he isn’t too scared and that they don’t hurt him

If it is mites then you only need to treat the affected piggy/piggies. The vet will be able to tell you more.
I am part of a rescue and many piggies that come into rescue are stressed. We end up treating most new arrivals for mites because they have often come from poor backgrounds and then the stress of coming into rescue weakens their immune system. However, piggies can suffer mites when they are unwell so it’s worth getting them checked out.

 

[Merab]

Hope all goes well at the vet’s.
Keep us posted.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I agree with Vicki, depending on what you’re dealing with, his cagemate may not need treating If his immune system is fully working and fending off any parasites. Do still take them both to the appointment though for a check and even if he doesn’t need any treatment, then it’s less stressful for the piggies to remain together at all times anyway.

 

[Little Ones]

Thanks all for the advice and support. I appreciate it
I’ll take Little to the appointment too, for moral support if nothing else!

 

[Merab]

Hope it goes well.
Will be keeping you in my thoughts

 

[Little Ones]

We took both boys together, but then split them into separate carriers when we got there so that it was easier to remove the pigs. I was worried that BB who is a really big lad, almost 1500 would climb on Little who is only 1100 and very old and frail (he’s 6). This seemed to work well enough and they were put them back together as soon as we were on the way back.
They took one look at BB’s back and said it looked like mites but we’d caught it early. They prescribed him two pipettes of the xeno spot on treatment. One now and one in four weeks. They didn’t want to prescribe any to Little as she said older pigs are less susceptible to mites and if we noticed any bald patches then we should call and they’ll let us just go to pick some up.
We’re going to let BB settle himself back in and we’ll apply the treatment later on in the evening. I’m so glad they didn’t mess with him at all, sometimes they can pet them and hold them improperly but they didn’t. He was out, they took one look and then he was back in his crate. I’d say it was a successful visit all round, I was so nervous all day about how BB would get on as he’s a very scared lad!

 

[Claire W]

I’m glad it all went well and that you now have the correct treatment x

 

[Merab]

Good to know you have the proper treatment.
Hope BB’s mites clear up quickly now

 

[Little Ones]

He’s had the treatment on about 2/3 hours now. Suddenly I feel very dumb — do I need to change all the fleece bedding now and give the cage a clean?

 

[alpacasqueak]

He’s had the treatment on about 2/3 hours now. Suddenly I feel very dumb — do I need to change all the fleece bedding now and give the cage a clean?

I’ve just had similar with taking on Cleo last week and discovering lice on her on weds (), I’ve cleaned everywhere with F10 today and all new fleece, hay and beds etc then treated them and back in their cages.

 

[Free Ranger]

You don't need to clean the bedding immediately. I normally leave it 24-48 hours because if there's anything on the bedding that might want to jump back on let 'them - that they may perish with their buddies! Basically when the scratching's calmed down and it's a convenient time I do it.

I hope everything clears up! Once applied this stuff works pretty quickly so you should see a difference by tomorrow, then he shouldn't be scratching for a while. Eventually he'll likely start again as I think ivermectin doesn't kill the eggs, so you have to wait for them to hatch before the new mites can be killed off - hence the repeat dosage! I reckon everyone reading this itchy thread will be scratching by now

I would keep an eye on lovely Little - I have not heard this about old Guineas not getting mites before but I remember that when mine got lice that last time and old Daisy didn't seem to be scratching like the others... but one day while she was eating I saw her little back leg come up as if to scratch and it just paused halfway, hanging in the air there, and then kind of wave around. It was so weird. But Daisy had arthritis and was stiff - she couldn't manage slopes or steps - so I think she perhaps wasn't flexible enough to scratch like the younger pigs even if she wanted to.

 

[Little Ones]

I’ve just had similar with taking on Cleo last week and discovering lice on her on weds (), I’ve cleaned everywhere with F10 today and all new fleece, hay and beds etc then treated them and back in their cages.

Bless her, she’s lucky to have found you! I know in your case she came from a pet shop so I suppose it wasn’t as much of a surprise seeing as health isn’t always top priority there. But I have no idea how BB got mites! He’s been with us 2 weeks now and the bald patch only happened a couple of days ago so not sure if he came to us from the rescue with them or something else? I’ve never dealt with them at all in 8 years so I don’t think they’ve come from the hay as we’ve been using the same bag for over a month Do I let the rescue know it could’ve potentially come from them?
I’ll give everything a clean in about 2 or 3 days then, if that’s a decent amount of time? It’s funny, mites/lice/bugs are universally known about by every pet owner that you think you’d already know what to do when they get them, not so much in my case!

 

[Little Ones]

You don't need to clean the bedding immediately. I normally leave it 24-48 hours because if there's anything on the bedding that might want to jump back on let 'them - that they may perish with their buddies! Basically when the scratching's calmed down and it's a convenient time I do it.

I hope everything clears up! Once applied this stuff works pretty quickly so you should see a difference by tomorrow, then he shouldn't be scratching for a while. Eventually he'll likely start again as I think ivermectin doesn't kill the eggs, so you have to wait for them to hatch before the new mites can be killed off - hence the repeat dosage! I reckon everyone reading this itchy thread will be scratching by now

I would keep an eye on lovely Little - I have not heard this about old Guineas not getting mites before but I remember that when mine got lice that last time and old Daisy didn't seem to be scratching like the others... but one day while she was eating I saw her little back leg come up as if to scratch and it just paused halfway, hanging in the air there, and then kind of wave around. It was so weird. But Daisy had arthritis and was stiff - she couldn't manage slopes or steps - so I think she perhaps wasn't flexible enough to scratch like the younger pigs even if she wanted to.

Thank you for all your advice. The vet also told me that the mite treatment isn’t good for older piggies either as it can be quite strong. But, she isn’t an exotic vet so it could be true but couldn’t easily not be.
Does the ivermectin stay in their system for a while? For example if BB is being treated now, but Little gets a bald patch in two weeks will that cause problems? Such as the final dose of Little’s treatment being 2 weeks after BB’s, meaning that in that 2 weeks the mites could’ve already been passed back to BB? If that makes any sense, lol. I think I’m overthinking this

 

[alpacasqueak]

Bless her, she’s lucky to have found you! I know in your case she came from a pet shop so I suppose it wasn’t as much of a surprise seeing as health isn’t always top priority there. But I have no idea how BB got mites! He’s been with us 2 weeks now and the bald patch only happened a couple of days ago so not sure if he came to us from the rescue with them or something else? I’ve never dealt with them at all in 8 years so I don’t think they’ve come from the hay as we’ve been using the same bag for over a month Do I let the rescue know it could’ve potentially come from them?
I’ll give everything a clean in about 2 or 3 days then, if that’s a decent amount of time? It’s funny, mites/lice/bugs are universally known about by every pet owner that you think you’d already know what to do when they get them, not so much in my case!

Thank you! Yes poor girly, wasn’t nice to see them crawling all over her head! Already out and about more today rather than hiding which is lovely to see so guessing the treatment yest has made her feel a bit better already (not surprised, nasty critters!). Poor BB too with those horrible beasts!
I called the pet shop to let them know and hopefully they’ve passed the info on to the original breeder she came from It’s definitely worth ringing the rescue and letting them know in case they may have others with the same issue and can treat them. I’ve treated all 4 of my pigs and obviously will have to again in a fortnight, then again 2 weeks after that. I’m going to clean them all out again in a couple of days to get rid of the dead lice etc (yes my flat looks like I’ve had a piggy explosion atm!), all fleece, beds etc are being washed on a 60deg wash.
No same here, pigs for 10 years and never an issue! I should know a lot more too! Dealt with cat fleas but not these horrible ! I just panicked, especially as she’s not been in quarantine and I’ve got my other 3!

 

[Little Ones]

Thank you! Yes poor girly, wasn’t nice to see them crawling all over her head! Already out and about more today rather than hiding which is lovely to see so guessing the treatment yest has made her feel a bit better already (not surprised, nasty critters!). Poor BB too with those horrible beasts!
I called the pet shop to let them know and hopefully they’ve passed the info on to the original breeder she came from It’s definitely worth ringing the rescue and letting them know in case they may have others with the same issue and can treat them. I’ve treated all 4 of my pigs and obviously will have to again in a fortnight, then again 2 weeks after that. I’m going to clean them all out again in a couple of days to get rid of the dead lice etc (yes my flat looks like I’ve had a piggy explosion atm!), all fleece, beds etc are being washed on a 60deg wash.
No same here, pigs for 10 years and never an issue! I should know a lot more too! Dealt with cat fleas but not these horrible ! I just panicked, especially as she’s not been in quarantine and I’ve got my other 3!

I think I would’ve been freaked out if it were lice that BB had! I like insects and all, but to see the lice crawling all over him would’ve grossed me out! I'm glad she’s feeling better, it must be such a weird feeling for them to have them crawling all over their body. Especially lice since they’re bigger creatures. BB has still been itching a lot today, fingers crossed tomorrow it dies down. There was no test for mites done, the vet just said it looked like mites due to the fur loss. Fingers crossed it is, as it seems an easier fix than anything else it could be. I’ll let the rescue know once I see an improvement as that means we definitely know it’s mites and needs no further investigation.
Hmm, with you saying that about treating all your pigs now I’m wondering if I will need some for Little. I’ve noticed he’s quite itchy but I think I’m on scratch alert so not sure if it’s more than usual. We’re going to change the fleece tomorrow, will do a 60 degree wash too. I’m really hoping Little doesn’t have any, as I think that’ll make things a lot harder at this point in regards to treatment and bedding changes.
We also have dealt with cat fleas in the past. I remember my dads cat had them once when I was about 9 and I saw the excrement on the cat’s neck and told my dad. My dad dismissed it, I told him about it many times, but he just wasn’t bothered. Then, fast forward a couple of months when he was moving houses, I had to sit on the carpet and I got absolutely covered in fleas. They were all over me, it was horrifying. Unsurprisingly, he said it was my fault for sitting on the floor. I had nightmares about the fleas crawling all over me for months. It was horrible .
The bugs on guinea pigs seem to be very undetectable and because guinea pigs are in groups, it makes it that much more difficult. But, if you catch it soon enough like you have, none of the piggies will be worse off for it. They’re more of a nuisance really!

 

[alpacasqueak]

I think I would’ve been freaked out if it were lice that BB had! I like insects and all, but to see the lice crawling all over him would’ve grossed me out! I'm glad she’s feeling better, it must be such a weird feeling for them to have them crawling all over their body. Especially lice since they’re bigger creatures. BB has still been itching a lot today, fingers crossed tomorrow it dies down. There was no test for mites done, the vet just said it looked like mites due to the fur loss. Fingers crossed it is, as it seems an easier fix than anything else it could be. I’ll let the rescue know once I see an improvement as that means we definitely know it’s mites and needs no further investigation.
Hmm, with you saying that about treating all your pigs now I’m wondering if I will need some for Little. I’ve noticed he’s quite itchy but I think I’m on scratch alert so not sure if it’s more than usual. We’re going to change the fleece tomorrow, will do a 60 degree wash too. I’m really hoping Little doesn’t have any, as I think that’ll make things a lot harder at this point in regards to treatment and bedding changes.
We also have dealt with cat fleas in the past. I remember my dads cat had them once when I was about 9 and I saw the excrement on the cat’s neck and told my dad. My dad dismissed it, I told him about it many times, but he just wasn’t bothered. Then, fast forward a couple of months when he was moving houses, I had to sit on the carpet and I got absolutely covered in fleas. They were all over me, it was horrifying. Unsurprisingly, he said it was my fault for sitting on the floor. I had nightmares about the fleas crawling all over me for months. It was horrible .
The bugs on guinea pigs seem to be very undetectable and because guinea pigs are in groups, it makes it that much more difficult. But, if you catch it soon enough like you have, none of the piggies will be worse off for it. They’re more of a nuisance really!

Yes it wasn’t pleasant, can’t imagine how she must have felt when all I could see were a few on the crest of her little head and she must have had them everywhere (shudder!)!
Poor BB, yes that sounds like a good plan rather than them having to treat everyone unnecessarily.
I went by the advice on her (mites but really lice!) thread from the lovely people on here, my local vets are pretty useless sadly but wanted to get her in ASAP as she must’ve felt horrible! Obviously with the eggs everywhere they’re hatching everywhere! I’ve not seen any itching from any of mine but definitely seemed the best option. The treatment hasn’t really bothered them, they just looked like punks yesterday with little mohicans after grooming overnight really! Yes it puts you on edge watching these scratches as soon as you know something’s going on!
Oh no, how horrible with the fleas! Sure that’s a childhood memory you’d rather forget! Thankfully my experience not that bad, but my cats (well only got Daisy now) were covered in them as kittens when I took them on so bathing screeching 8week old kittens was quite a sad experience where I felt very evil!
Yes these mites are invisible so not sure if I’m happy it’s lice so I could see and treat quickly or not! Just hoping all this works and poor little Cleo gets rid of the lot of them very quickly! Definitely a blooming nuisance! Really hope Little isn’t affected bless him Hope BB feels much better soon with the treatment!

 

[Free Ranger]

We got bitten by cat fleas as kids - over a year after she'd died. We had a lovely shaggy 70's carpet. A council guy came round to spray and he said this was actually very common in ex-cat households: the fleas drop off the cat and lay eggs in the 'environment' and when they hatch they get back on the cat - unless there's not a cat anymore! She was flea-treated regularly but there's always one or two that get through and we had her for quite a long time. It was not great for your dad to blame you though! I was a particularly delicious child and always had insect bites but mum got pretty good at spotting ones which might be flea bites and dosing the cat (although I played with lots of cats ) My sister very rarely got bitten by anything but I still think that's because she's a smelly elephant

It’s funny, mites/lice/bugs are universally known about by every pet owner that you think you’d already know what to do when they get them, not so much in my case!

We all have a first time - and we only knew about them because we've had quite a high turn-over of guinea-pigs so we've had new ones coming in more regularly from different places. That sounds awful doesn't it - but about half of them were older local 'left-over' pigs and they came here to find company so we only had them a year or so (yes - a lot of heartache) and the others were rescue so they were 'mature' when they arrived too. Sometimes piggies pick things up outdoors - things can hop off passing wildlife and find a new home. Some things are pig-specific but some are more general.

At my baby group (when it was on!) I occasionally mention 'worms' in small children and most people looked really surprised but there's usually a first time for that too and it's wise to get a heads-up so you know what to look for. Especially once they get a bit older and start playing in sandpits!
And don't get me started on bl**dy 'moths'!

Does the ivermectin stay in their system for a while? For example if BB is being treated now, but Little gets a bald patch in two weeks will that cause problems? Such as the final dose of Little’s treatment being 2 weeks after BB’s, meaning that in that 2 weeks the mites could’ve already been passed back to BB? If that makes any sense, lol. I think I’m overthinking this

You're not overthinking... if Little ends up being treated it might be a juggling act. I think the ivermectin stays in the system for a few days but I'm not sure how long. If BB has no adverse reactions it probably won't hurt him to have an extra cycle of treatment if you end up having to treat Little so that both complete treatment at the same time. I must say - I've not heard of doses four weeks apart before but I know there are different regimes out there for different critters and you might have been given a different product to the one I usually get. However, on the general instruction leaflet (that comes with the Dechra Xeno450 spot-on tubes) it says, "For the treatment of an existing infestation, repeat doses are required two weeks and four weeks after the initial application". I'd be a bit sensitive as to whether my vet had perhaps misread? And I would be tempted to e-mail in and just confirm that. If they're only treating pigs with symptoms and Little gets symptoms he should be treated... but you've not had BB that long have you? Little might just be scratching because he's a lovely fluffy boy rather than because he's got passengers.

As I understand it with mites the irritation isn't so much caused by them scampering about it's a side-effect of them feeding. Some mites digest the top layer of skin cells to feed - and some of these are loose anyway - but it's their saliva (if you can call it that) that causes the irritation so even if the mites are killed off it might take a little longer for the sensation to calm down. With mine the scratching usually calms down within say, 36 hours... but BB might be a sensitive boy!