Eww! White bugs on my baby!

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SmileyKylie623

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So I decided to "snuggle" with little Vygo while watching tv. I had him on my chest and I was just petting his head. That's when I noticed these two little white TEENY TINY bugs crawling all over his head and chest. Like so tiny you wouldn't notice them if they didn't move so fast. I think they make have come from the substrate- a mix of coco coir and very little bark (can't remember the specific type but I got it from petco). I also have some sphagnum moss in there as well in his moist hide and mixed in the dirt to hold humidity. My guess is whatever these things are, which I don't think are mites, came from the moss or coco or bark so my plan is to dump what's in there now, clean the rubbermaid out, bake the soil and possibly boil it. However, what should I do about Vygo? Is there something I can wash him in to kill whatever the bugs are when I do this clean out??

Thanks in advance!:tort:
 

theelectraco

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Springtails?


You can bake the substrate to kill them off and rehydrate the substrate when you put it back in the habitat
 

SmileyKylie623

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animalfreak said:
Just out of curiosity what was your reaction seeing the bugs as your tort was on you? Haha

Baha. Curiosity. I tried to pick the bugs off him but they were just so tiny.

ALSO...the little turd bit me not even five minutes later. He kept pushing on my hand which I was using to block him from walking off of me and he BIT me! Like full on marks and everything! HAHA. Didn't really hurt but scared the crud outta me! This is the only tort I have ever owned that has been so chompy. He has bit me before but it was always when I was feeding him. He has got a lot of fight thats for sure!
 

animalfreak

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SmileyKylie623 said:
animalfreak said:
Just out of curiosity what was your reaction seeing the bugs as your tort was on you? Haha

Baha. Curiosity. I tried to pick the bugs off him but they were just so tiny.

ALSO...the little turd bit me not even five minutes later. He kept pushing on my hand which I was using to block him from walking off of me and he BIT me! Like full on marks and everything! HAHA. Didn't really hurt but scared the crud outta me! This is the only tort I have ever owned that has been so chompy. He has bit me before but it was always when I was feeding him. He has got a lot of fight thats for sure!

Haha I'm sorry but that's kinda funny!! I am not sure what I would have done!
 

SmileyKylie623

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theelectraco said:
Springtails?


You can bake the substrate to kill them off and rehydrate the substrate when you put it back in the habitat



After a google search I was thinking the same thing. I am definitely going to bake it first thing tomorrow after the little man wakes up.
 

theelectraco

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Ive had them in my red foot cage and my gecko tank. They are annoying but not any harm
 

tortoise_man1

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you could give him a bath to drown the bugs, or at least to get them of your tortoise.
 

SmileyKylie623

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I baked the substrate and cleaned out everything in his enclosure: boiled the rocks, poured boiling water on the clay pot hides, and then soaked/ bathed him. This did not work. I don't think I baked it well enough. So, this weekend I am going to just pour boiling water into the enclosure (without Vygo in it of course), let it cool then dump it out, and rebathe him. And we shall see how that goes!
 
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