mites? please help

Joey and Shelley

New Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2016
Messages
2
Hi. My tortoises have these tiny white bugs on them, and everywhere in their tank. I have no idea as to what they are, nor of how to rid of them. Please help! I don't something awful to happen to my babies. I love them to death.
I tried soaking them in warm water for 20 minutes, but that has yet to prove it has worked. The little bugs hang around the leg region. And they are very hard to kill.
 

JoesMum

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Oct 26, 2011
Messages
21,606
Location (City and/or State)
Kent, South East England
Hello and welcome to TFO @Joey and Shelley :)

There is no need to panic. The bugs are detrivores and are inevitable in the warm, humid environment of a tortoise enclosure.

They will be eating bits of food, plant material and poop in the substrate. They will not harm your torts.

Some people use biological controls and introduce a few pill bugs into the enclosure. Other than that, just ignore them :) Do not use any type of pesticide on the bugs as that will harm your torts.

What species of tort do you have? Have you read the care sheets for the species on this forum? We're always happy to check over photos of enclosures and lighting to make sure there are no issues... and we LOVE pictures of tortoises anyway :)
 

Joey and Shelley

New Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2016
Messages
2
Hello and welcome to TFO @Joey and Shelley :)

There is no need to panic. The bugs are detrivores and are inevitable in the warm, humid environment of a tortoise enclosure.

They will be eating bits of food, plant material and poop in the substrate. They will not harm your torts.

Some people use biological controls and introduce a few pill bugs into the enclosure. Other than that, just ignore them :) Do not use any type of pesticide on the bugs as that will harm your torts.

What species of tort do you have? Have you read the care sheets for the species on this forum? We're always happy to check over photos of enclosures and lighting to make sure there are no issues... and we LOVE pictures of tortoises anyway :)

I have a Greek tortoise and a red footed tortoise. Do you by any chance know of what kind of biological controls that i could use? And thank you very much for the help.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,389
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
They're not harmful, but it's hard to not put your human feelings on the poor animals locked up with all those bugs. It's just a fact of life that when you have warm, moist substrate you will eventually get those darned bugs. When they get to where the poor turtle has them all over him I just take the enclosure outside and dump it someplace far away from the house and then start over with all new substrate (after washing out the container, of course).

http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74136.html
 

New Posts

Top