Help! Bugs!

[Kasper2reds]

I have two juvy red foots in a 4x2 terrarium, there bedding is a mix of cypress mulch, dirt, and sphagnum moss. I noticed the other night there was quite a few of these little grey bugs on some of there rocks.. I'm not sure what these are but they are very tiny, u have to look pretty close to see.. Does anyone know what these are or if they are harmful to the torts? I change the bedding about once a month.. Any suggestions for when I change it next to eliminate the bug problem???
I would greatly appreciate any help!


-Kasper

 

[wellington]

They are not harmful. Suggestions I have seen before on TFO is to put the substrate in the oven and bake before putting it in the enclosure. I don't no the specifics on the baking. Someone will come along and have that for you. I switched to coconut coir. I had little flying bugs that got into my whole house. I switched to coir, which doesn't get moldy and the bugs are gone. Once in awhile I see one, I think they may still be living in my house plant that I plan on dumping, but haven't yet. Hope this helps some

 

[Redstrike]

I have a similar mix of substrate materials and have similar micro-fauna in with my tortoises. They are likely collembolans (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springtail) or mites that feed on detritus (not your torts!). Both are relatively harmless to you and your tortoises and will eat organic wastes in the enclosure.

Give your hatchlings a good examination to be sure they're not parasitic mites (I'm willing to bet they're not) and check out the water after you soak them for any dead mites. Parasitic mites are usually very dark colored from what I understand. Collembola are pretty quick moving, mites are generally slower moving. If you see them running across your tortoise, don't panic, they're just hitchhiking.

 

[Madkins007]

They are probably springtails, also called snow fleas. They are harmless, incredibly common in damp soils, and amazingly tough to completely get rid of. I rarely get them when I used bagged cypress, but get them whenever I use any type of actual soil.

 

[ascott]

Those little buggers are annoying to us, but are not harmful (they are generally referenced as dirt bugs and such) Actually, they will eventually run their cycle and essentially disappear.

Every time you bring in new bagged soil or dirt from the yard they are also brought in

I have good old fashion yard dirt, organic soil and coco coir in the two RF indoor enclosures here...after about a month (or so) the bugs have disappeared. Also, I have allowed two daddy long legs to set up house in the corner behind the two RF indoor enclosures and I know that they have helped as well....

 

[ripper7777777]

Yea, I have bugs also, I'm finally getting to a point that I ignore them. I have added other things to help the habitat like pill bugs and worms. Come spring I'm gonna raise some tadpoles and use baby toads to eat the bugs. I have heard of people using mantis to fight bugs and than release them into the yard later, I may try this one day, of course that only works with an enclosed terrarium, don't need them hunting all over the house....LOL




We need a bugs in the enclosure sticky. Sounds like just a post for you Madkins with all your info on Bioactive substrates.

 

[Kasper2reds]

Thanks for all the advice!

 

[torti]

I had that problem when I used soil and play sand. I decided to switch to coco coir completely, and no more bugs =) and I find that its easier to keep humidity up, cause the coir holds water better. Hope it helped.

 

[Kasper2reds]

I think this weekend i am going to change out my cypress mulch substrate for a mix of coco coir, dirt, and rocks. The floor of my terrarium is 2x4 feet... About how many bricks of the coco coir do u think I will need? I really hope this helps get rid of the little bugs Crawling around in there.