Leopard Gecko Mites: Spotting & Treating an Infestation
| Where they cluster | Eyes, armpits, vent |
| Treat gecko only? | No — enclosure must be treated too |
Where to check
Mites concentrate in skin folds and moist areas: around the eyes, in the 'armpits' where the legs meet the body, and around the vent. Excessive soaking or rubbing behaviour, and small dots that move, are both giveaways.
Why they spread fast
Reptile mites reproduce quickly and can survive off-host in substrate and decor for a period, which is why treating just the gecko without also stripping and treating the enclosure almost always leads to reinfestation.
Treatment approach
A reptile vet can advise on a safe topical or systemic treatment for the animal; concurrently, the enclosure typically needs to be fully stripped, decor either replaced or thoroughly cleaned, and a treatment protocol (such as a prescribed reptile-safe product) run for several weeks to break the life cycle.
Quarantine relevance
Mites are one of the reasons a 90-day quarantine for new geckos matters — a new gecko carrying mites can infest an entire established collection if introduced too soon.
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A single adult leopard gecko needs a 20-gallon long tank as an absolute minimum, with a 36x18 in (40-gallon breeder) footprint now considered the recommended standard — plus a secure lid, an under-tank heater on a thermostat, a thermal gradient, at least three hides, and a shallow water dish.
Set up in this order: substrate, then heat source wired through a thermostat, then hides and water dish, then decor — and run the whole enclosure for at least 24–48 hours to confirm stable temperatures before your gecko moves in.
Hatchlings can start in a 10-gallon tank or tub, juveniles do well in 20 gallons, and adults need a 20-gallon long as an absolute minimum — with 36x18 in (40-gallon breeder) now the widely recommended standard, not just an upgrade.
Heat a leopard gecko enclosure with an under-tank heater and/or overhead heat source (halogen or deep heat projector) wired through a thermostat — a thermostat is mandatory, not optional, and heat rocks should never be used.
Leopard geckos can survive without UVB using dietary D3 supplementation, but current husbandry guidance now recommends low-level UVB (roughly 2–6% T5) as best practice — it improves D3 synthesis, bone density, and natural behavior, and views on it have shifted significantly from older nocturnal-species advice.
Keep ambient humidity around 30–40% across most of the enclosure, with a dedicated humid hide raised to roughly 70–80% to support smooth, complete sheds.