Baby Flea or Tick?!

[pguinpro]

Found in substrate of indoor enclosure, there's several of them and hard to spot, any ideas?

 

[Tortoiselove4ev]

It looks like it might be a tick or a bedbug, but definitely clean the whole enclosure and get new bedding.

 

[pguinpro]

It looks like it might be a tick or a bedbug, but definitely clean the whole enclosure and get new bedding.

They dont jump but scurry quickly. Have six legs and round light and brown but not flat. I thought baby ticks at first but ticks have 8 legs and are flat. I change substrate weekly and they keep coming back.

 

[JoesMum]

Chances are these bugs are hiding out in decor or cracks in the enclosure or even on your tort.

Unless you start afresh and bathe your tort throughly they probably cannot be eradicated.

You can try freezing substrate and decor for 48 hours. I am not sure how you would deal with the actual enclosure? Perhaps a steam cleaner?

If they haven't bitten you by now and you cannot find any on your tort's skin then the chances are that they're sume kind of detrivore that eats waste material rather than something that's going to cause you serious problems.

 

[pguinpro]

Chances are these bugs are hiding out in decor or cracks in the enclosure or even on your tort.

Unless you start afresh and bathe your tort throughly they probably cannot be eradicated.

You can try freezing substrate and decor for 48 hours. I am not sure how you would deal with the actual enclosure? Perhaps a steam cleaner?

If they haven't bitten you by now and you cannot find any on your tort's skin then the chances are that they're sume kind of detrivore that eats waste material rather than something that's going to cause you serious problems.

He doesnt seem bothered by their presence but I am...

 

[JoesMum]

If you keep a tortoise then you have to get used to various types of detrivore bugs. The warm humid environment that is great for your tort is great for bugs too. There isn't much you can do about it apart from not leave stale food around and clean up poop.

Some people catch a few roly polies from their garden and introduce them to their enclosure as they are very good at clearing up and basically starve the other bugs out

 

[Tortoiselove4ev]

They dont jump but scurry quickly. Have six legs and round light and brown but not flat. I thought baby ticks at first but ticks have 8 legs and are flat. I change substrate weekly and they keep coming back.

If six legs then probably a bedbug or a rollypolly type bug but if a bedbug it could be comin from other parts of your hous.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Having picked off about 20 ticks from legs, backs, arms and other of my own body parts, those lil guys, based on those pix, look like ticks.

One good link with lots of info - http://www.health.pa.gov/_layouts/d...s/I-L/Documents/Tick Bite Training Final.pptx

And a nice ID

 

[Yvonne G]

Looks like ticks to me too.

 

[fritz269]

Do you feed it mealworms? Is it possible that he does not eat all of them and they turn into these? Happened to me a few times.

 

[Yvonne G]

No, meal worm beetles don't look like that.

 

[Redfool]

Your pic is not very sharp but it appears to have a long nose like some type of weevil.

 

[pguinpro]

I had to zoom in they are so small it's impossible to get a good picture if I don't. They are almost microscopic...

Your pic is not very sharp but it appears to have a long nose like some type of weevil.

 

[Yvonne G]

Your pic is not very sharp but it appears to have a long nose like some type of weevil.

Google tells me there are only three legs per side on weevils.

 

[fritz269]

That is why I thought of the Mealworm beetles but I would agree it is some kind of a weevil. Maybe a mite?

 

[pguinpro]

That is why I thought of the Mealworm beetles but I would agree it is some kind of a weevil. Maybe a mite?

They are so small I was thinking a mite or a baby fly without wings.

 

[Bambam1989]

Do you feed any pellets or pre-made chows like mazuri? If it's a type of weevil, it could be in it. To be sure you would need to look in the very bottom of the bag.

 

[fritz269]

They are so small I was thinking a mite or a baby fly without wings.

I was getting small bugs in my enclosures which I suspected came from the substrate. I got some anti-mite spray that is safe for reptiles and I sprayed every time I changed the substrate and in between changes. I was able to eliminate them completely. It is important to spray every corner before and after you put the substrate.

 

[pguinpro]

I was getting small bugs in my enclosures which I suspected came from the substrate. I got some anti-mite spray that is safe for reptiles and I sprayed every time I changed the substrate and in between changes. I was able to eliminate them completely. It is important to spray every corner before and after you put the substrate.

Towards the border you can see the insect moving. If it was a flea I think it would be jumping. Can you link reptile safe mite spray?

 

[pguinpro]

Yeah I feed pellets mixed with greens.

Do you feed any pellets or pre-made chows like mazuri? If it's a type of weevil, it could be in it. To be sure you would need to look in the very bottom of the bag.