important housing issue

[krh11b23]

Ok so I feel my yearling sulcata is now big enough to spend some quality time outdoors. I built a large box turtle pen for 3 box turtles in my yard. I rehomed my box turtles today to make room for my sulcata. I washed out the area in my backyard that they had sectioned off really good with a water hose. My question is how long should I wait to let my sulcata spend time in there due to chance of catching something the boxies may have had? I was thinking a week or so?

 

[ascott]

How long had the boxies lived in that enclosure? Is it earth substrate?

 

[krh11b23]

How long had the boxies lived in that enclosure? Is it earth substrate?

The boxies lived there for a month. The ground is just yard earth dirt and grass.

 

[ascott]

Are you able to use a different area for the sulcata enclosure? I am ultra paranoid about this type of stuff (others may not be, but I certainly am) and would rather error on the side of caution....I personally would not use the same enclosure/ground for at least 7 months to a year....

Were the turtles wild or captive? Do you know their entire health history?

 

[Arizona Sulcata]

Id say mow the area (if possible), that will suck up and get rid of a lot and then wait a week or so spraying off a couple times. I think then you'd be just fine.

 

[Tom]

I agree with Angela. There are some nasties that can survive for more than a year with no host.

 

[krh11b23]

Wow even after washing it out with water several times

 

[Laura]

water doesn't kill things... you might need to use a slight bleach solution and then a few rinses and time. Or dig out the soil, and replace it and re plant it.
how big is the area?

 

[krh11b23]

Ok thanks I think I will bleach it real good then dig it up and replace dirt and replant

 

[richellesworld]

water doesn't kill things... you might need to use a slight bleach solution and then a few rinses and time. Or dig out the soil, and replace it and re plant it.
how big is the area?

Im not a know it all but I would not bleach the ground. Bleach is toxic. I would say it would be best to relocate the pen. Do more research on this decontamination before you move forward. That way you can have peace of mind. Good luck.

 

[jaizei]

I think that is going overboard as well. Do you have any reason to suspect that the box turtles had something that would be dangerous to a sulcata?

 

[krh11b23]

No I don't have any reason to believe the boxies had anything. I'm not gonna use bleach. I used lysol disinfectant then I will wash very good a couple of times. I will then remove the top layer of dirt and grass and then replant.