Food for the winter

[PistachioTurtle]

Okay, newbie to the forum!

I have a couple newly hatched boxies that I'm planning on overwintering indoors and I think we're good so far. I've had experience keeping adults outside and in the southeastern US, live food is plentiful most of the year. My question is, for those of you who overwinter your babies, do you grow/raise your own live food through the winter (because it can't really be foraged)? This is what I'm considering. I've started a worm bin with red wigglers, but I'm wondering if I'll need more variety? Right now I have access to pill bugs, crickets, mealworms, centipedes, etc. from my pesticide free yard and garden. But that will all change in a month or two. My babies are also eating soaked Reptimin sticks, and now that I've finally got them to eat reliably, I'm going to add in fruits and veggies too.

The care sheets have been really helpful! Thanks to all who contributed.

 

[terryo]

For the hatchlings that I keep inside, I start them off with frozen blood worms. I defrost a cube and put it in warm water and feed them in a little tub. I also keep red wigglers and pill bugs. I get a 5 gal. tank and add about 2 inches of soil and put a load of pill bugs in. then I put a terra cotta plant saucer in and keep water in it. It is porous and the water will seep into the soil keeping it moist. I throw in lots of veggie scraps and old lettuce leaves. The pill bugs multiply and the baby boxies love them. I'm in NY so the red wigglers and pill bugs help with Winter feeding for the little one's too. Wax worms are good too. I get them at the pet store. Hope this helps.

 

[PistachioTurtle]

For the hatchlings that I keep inside, I start them off with frozen blood worms. I defrost a cube and put it in warm water and feed them in a little tub. I also keep red wigglers and pill bugs. I get a 5 gal. tank and add about 2 inches of soil and put a load of pill bugs in. then I put a terra cotta plant saucer in and keep water in it. It is porous and the water will seep into the soil keeping it moist. I throw in lots of veggie scraps and old lettuce leaves. The pill bugs multiply and the baby boxies love them. I'm in NY so the red wigglers and pill bugs help with Winter feeding for the little one's too. Wax worms are good too. I get them at the pet store. Hope this helps.

Yay! I was hoping you would respond. From the threads I've lurked on, you are such a font of info. If you have any more tips for the babies, I'm all ears.

 

[PistachioTurtle]

One other q I had is in regards to these teeny red bugs I keep finding in the vivarium. (I don't think they're mites, unless mites come in different varieties. ..) I think they may have come in the compost I mixed with their bedding. The substrate is fairly even mix of potting soil, compost, and plain dirt. Do you think these are a problem? I don't usually see them on the turtles, just the food dish if I leave it too long.

 

[terryo]

As long as their not ants, I wouldn't worry. The most important thing about hatchlings is moisture. They dehydrate very fast at this age. They need low light and high humidity. I spray the whole vivarium every day In the wild they stay buried under leaf litter for a whole season, eating only little buggie things they find under there. The only sun they get is filtered through the trees. Just make sure they are warm (78 - 80 degrees) no hot intense lighting that will dry them out, and plenty of warm wet humidity. I put crumbled up leaf litter on one side for them to dig into and some plants that they usually dig under. I don't use any hides for hatchlings. It's mostly useless as they dig into the leaf litter under the plants. This is the best site for raising baby box turtles. I love this site. It has lots of pictures too.
http://turtle_tails.tripod.com/raisingbabyturtles/raisingbabyturtles.htm
this is just how I do things. There are plenty of people on here that have great results too.

 

[PistachioTurtle]

Thanks! I've been through most of Tom's tours on babies and love them. He has a great perspective on domesticated turtles that I really admire.

Appreciate the input!

 

[kbroadway2]

You can buy pill bugs online from niles biological. They're pricy but they ship them fast and they all come alive.