How long should an enclosure be vacant before being used for another species?

[Carol S]

Hi:

I have an outside enclosure that I have been using for the last year for my 4 adult Russian tortoises and would like to use it now for my five 3-year-old Desert tortoises as I will be moving the Russians tortoises to another enclosure. I was wondering how long the enclosure should be vacant or what I should do to it to make it safe from a health aspect to use as I don't want to make my Desert tortoises sick

Thank you very much for any information.

Carol Sauer

 

[Laura]

can you disenfect the area and let it sit? replace the top soil?
Deserts are extra sensitive and prone to things..

 

[Torty Mom]

Great question Carol!!!

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Other than glass, hard to say.

 

[DeanS]

If the entire enclosure can be disinfected with a water/bleach/detergent solution...you could use it the same day. Of course, all old substrate should be removed. If that's not possible, let the sun bake it for two or three days! You're in Upland? Rancho Cucamonga? Alta Loma? I forget which...but give the sun a chance...give it a week or so...since we've got rain coming! In any event, you're in a GREAT spot for DTs.

BTW, the old rule-of-thumb for quarantine is 60 days...with no contact from other specimens. There are a lot of tort keepers that still follow that religiously!

 

[Floof]

Since it's an outdoor enclosure, maybe just soak it with the garden hose (or, if there's some good rainfall coming, let THAT soak it) and then, like Dean said, just let the sun bake it for a week.