Bugs in terrarium!

Janine2468

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Jan 7, 2018
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Canada
Hey All,
I am from Canada and I have a box turtle. I have had him for almost a year now. I have 2 issues. First is i clean his enclosure about once a month as he is pretty clean and seems to use his water dish as his bathroom. I dont know if this is normal behaviour but it sure helps with keeping terrarium clean. Anyways, last couple times i cleaned his enclosure out I found very small blue coloured insects. They usually live under his water dish. They seem to like the humidity. Has anyone had issues with this? Are they harmful? Am I not cleaning his enclosure enough? Is there anything I can do to prevent them?

Second, i try to keep the humidity levels up and it is very difficult. I have a hygromoter in the enclosure and maybe it isnt the most accurate but I can never seem to keep the humidity higher than 50 without soaking the terrarium. I spray it once a day. I noticed my turtle has dry skin. I dont think this is normal and maybe its because of humidity being too low? Any suggestions for keeping humidity constant and for turtles dryness?
Thank you
 

Kapidolo Farms

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Blue colored like this, is it this?
upload_2018-11-27_16-33-40.jpeg

If so, these are isopods, and are no worry. They are actual good, as they will help keep everything cleaner bu eating bits of uneaten food, and that occasional poop that is not deposited in the water.

Maybe these?
upload_2018-11-27_16-35-31.jpeg
These are silver fish, same story.

If not these, then how about an image of the blue bugs?
 

Janine2468

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Hi. Thanks for the reply. They are more like little flies. Smaller than a fruit fly. I assume they are bluish colour because they have thay tinge under the light. They seem to only be there after a few weeks. Last time I did not clean the terrarium for about 2 months and I atrributed the bugs to maybe it being uncleaned for so long. But noticed them again the last couple days. Every time I move the water dish to refresh the water they are under it and all scurry under the soil. They are very tiny. I just cleaned the enclosure today so I dont have pictures. And they move so fast and so tiny I dont know if i could get a decent picture. Maybe they are harmless but I dont like them
 

Janine2468

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Hi. Thanks for the reply. They are more like little flies. Smaller than a fruit fly. I assume they are bluish colour because they have thay tinge under the light. They seem to only be there after a few weeks. Last time I did not clean the terrarium for about 2 months and I atrributed the bugs to maybe it being uncleaned for so long. But noticed them again the last couple days. Every time I move the water dish to refresh the water they are under it and all scurry under the soil. They are very tiny. I just cleaned the enclosure today so I dont have pictures. And they move so fast and so tiny I dont know if i could get a decent picture. Maybe they are harmless but I dont like them

I should also add, I havent seen them fly so I dont know if they arw flies...just have body structure of like a fruit fly which is why i used for comparison
 

CaseyAlena

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Oct 18, 2018
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Connecticut
I have the same problem little fruit fly looking things!
Just be sure to constantly take out any old food that sits for more than 30 minutes or so, like fruits or old lettuce.
That attracts them easily!

I take some insulation and place it on the top of my tank it helps with humidity!
 

Cari48038

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Joined
Oct 15, 2018
Messages
13
Location (City and/or State)
Dearborn, MI
Hey All,
I am from Canada and I have a box turtle. I have had him for almost a year now. I have 2 issues. First is i clean his enclosure about once a month as he is pretty clean and seems to use his water dish as his bathroom. I dont know if this is normal behaviour but it sure helps with keeping terrarium clean. Anyways, last couple times i cleaned his enclosure out I found very small blue coloured insects. They usually live under his water dish. They seem to like the humidity. Has anyone had issues with this? Are they harmful? Am I not cleaning his enclosure enough? Is there anything I can do to prevent them?

Second, i try to keep the humidity levels up and it is very difficult. I have a hygromoter in the enclosure and maybe it isnt the most accurate but I can never seem to keep the humidity higher than 50 without soaking the terrarium. I spray it once a day. I noticed my turtle has dry skin. I dont think this is normal and maybe its because of humidity being too low? Any suggestions for keeping humidity constant and for turtles dryness?
Thank you
Are you using reptibark? I had the same problem and I think that is where they came from. They looked like tiny fruit flies. If that's not it, do you have plants in the same room? I know sometimes my plants will have the same tiny bugs around them.
 

Janine2468

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Joined
Jan 7, 2018
Messages
27
Location (City and/or State)
Canada
I have the same problem little fruit fly looking things!
Just be sure to constantly take out any old food that sits for more than 30 minutes or so, like fruits or old lettuce.
That attracts them easily!

I take some insulation and place it on the top of my tank it helps with humidity!
Hi. Thanks for the suggestions. Does your turtle eat as soon as you put food? Mine wont which is why I usually have to leave the food. I dont know if I need to keep him to a strict feeding schedule so the food doesnt sit in his enclosure. Also, how often does he eat. Mine doesnt seem to eat much at all. As for the top, i do have tin foil across the whole top to keep humidity in, dont know if it is working
 

Janine2468

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Jan 7, 2018
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Location (City and/or State)
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Are you using reptibark? I had the same problem and I think that is where they came from. They looked like tiny fruit flies. If that's not it, do you have plants in the same room? I know sometimes my plants will have the same tiny bugs around them.
I do use repti-bark. Maybe I will try omitting it next time. And no, I do not have plants. I also use the moss stuff in the terreriam as well.
 

Cari48038

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Oct 15, 2018
Messages
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Location (City and/or State)
Dearborn, MI
I do use repti-bark. Maybe I will try omitting it next time. And no, I do not have plants. I also use the moss stuff in the terreriam as well.
I narrowed mine down to reptile bark or the moss I bought. Reptibark has been known to contain mites, so that could be the problem.
 

Janine2468

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Jan 7, 2018
Messages
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Location (City and/or State)
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Eeewwww.....thanks for the heads up. Maybe thats what it is. I am definately going to try omitting it...unfortuntaly I just cleaned his enclosure and I added some in ☹ So do you notice it with the moss?
 

Cari48038

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Joined
Oct 15, 2018
Messages
13
Location (City and/or State)
Dearborn, MI
Eeewwww.....thanks for the heads up. Maybe thats what it is. I am definately going to try omitting it...unfortuntaly I just cleaned his enclosure and I added some in [emoji852] So do you notice it with the moss?
I was using both at the same time, but I'm not sure which one they came from. I threw everything out and boiled the new stuff in a big pot (lol) and then let it cool and dry before I put it in the enclosure. I've have no problems since.
 

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