tiny white bugs in Greta's water dish

Lissa

New Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2015
Messages
25
Location (City and/or State)
Lansing, Michigan
I don't see them anywhere else in her enclosure except her water dish. I've been changing her water every few hours. Every time I come back there is a skim of these bugs on top of her water. They're really gross & worried she will ingest them. Anyone know what they are & if they'll hurt her?
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,660
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
I have not had them. I have had the tiny fruit looking flies. If you can back or boil the substrate, it might get rid of them. Otherwise when you get new substrate baking or boiling before using usually takes care of any insect eggs. I'm sure they won't hurt her. In the wild or your yard while grazing they will unknowingly eat all kinds of bugs
 

MichaelaW

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 20, 2015
Messages
737
Location (City and/or State)
Harlingen, TX
I had that exact thing. Changing the substrate didn't work. They came back within a few weeks. Eventually I just ignored them and now they're gone. It's strange.
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,660
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
I had that exact thing. Changing the substrate didn't work. They came back within a few weeks. Eventually I just ignored them and now they're gone. It's strange.
Changing substrate may not work. But baking it or boiling it should before using it should
 

SarahChelonoidis

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2015
Messages
1,895
Location (City and/or State)
Toronto, Canada
Hard to say from your description, but springtails are a likely possibility. They won't do any harm if ingested. They also may die way down after a few days.

I find it too much hassle to bake/boil all the substrate I need so I just ignore them. I use a 'bioactive' substrate to keep any one creepy-crawly from getting out of hand - the springtails, pill bugs, centipedes, and earthworms seem to keep each other in check.
 

Pearly

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2015
Messages
5,287
Location (City and/or State)
Central Texas, Austin area
Hard to say from your description, but springtails are a likely possibility. They won't do any harm if ingested. They also may die way down after a few days.

I find it too much hassle to bake/boil all the substrate I need so I just ignore them. I use a 'bioactive' substrate to keep any one creepy-crawly from getting out of hand - the springtails, pill bugs, centipedes, and earthworms seem to keep each other in check.
Haha! There's no way I'm baking/freezing substrate! I also keep bioactive. Little tiny soil centipedes (that just came out of nowhere) do superb job cleaning. The other part if Cleanup Crew are earthworms, pillbugs and probably tons of microorganisms in the substrate that are populating the tank, kinda like healthy aquarium filter. For me this works perfectly. The only thing about bioactive is that you have to be ok with little "crawlies" in there. I used to be little turned off by bugs, but after years of gardening, reading and researching Nature I'm much more at ease with them now. As long as they don't start crawling out of the "tort nursery" and start "populating" my house, which they don't. I'm not sure what kind of a bug you are referring to. I've never seen white ones. Do you think you could take a closeup pic clear enough for us to see them?
 
Top