Little black bugs in tank

[PumpkinPie]

So I was feeding my turtles some crickets today, and I went to move the food dish because the cricket tried to hide between it, and there were a couple of little black bugs under it! Yuck!!!! They looked like little Beatles of something. I changed the wood chips not long ago, and try do do constant " maintenance" as well... and I have never seen these things before!!! Scarlet still burrows down in the wood chips and sleeps a lot, and she will also wake up and swim for a while. But Sheldon is awake most of the day. They both swim a lot and bask in the light and burrow..... Is this bad? I am concerned! Thanks :shy:

 

[katelyn0974]

Do you drop meal worms in the tank? Meal worms turn into black beetles.

 

[terryo]

If they were under the water dish, they might be pill bugs. BT's love them. I threw a bunch in my viv, and sometimes I will lift up the water dish, and let them go after all the pill bugs. They are great for hatchlings too, if that's what they are. Post a picture if you can.

 

[Millerlite]

Yeah if you feed any meal worms they turn to Beatles after a little time, box turtles will eat them, lol anything really

 

[terryo]

I lost 2 hatchlings that way. Years ago I threw in some meal worms in a small vivarium with two new hatchlings. They didn't eat them, they turned into two big ugly black beetles, and after a few days when the baby's didn't come up, I dug them out to soak them and there were two empty shells. I was in shock. I don't give mealworms to hatchlings anymore now.

 

[luvpetz27]

OMG!!!! That is terrible! I have heard this
before. It may have been from you, I dont
know. That is just heartbreaking!

 

[Millerlite]

The Beatles killed the box turtles? Hmm mine eat meal worms and Beatles, roaches earthworms, wax worms, super worms, just about any bug never had problems,

With hatchling box turtles I always fed night crawlers, red worms, and wax. Mealworms have jaws that can bite babies even adults and hurt them pretty bad, but my adults never had problems with mealworms my hatching never got mealworms not till they were older.

 

[terryo]

The Beatles killed the box turtles? Hmm mine eat meal worms and Beatles, roaches earthworms, wax worms, super worms, just about any bug never had problems,

With hatchling box turtles I always fed night crawlers, red worms, and wax. Mealworms have jaws that can bite babies even adults and hurt them pretty bad, but my adults never had problems with mealworms my hatching never got mealworms not till they were older.

Yes, I do the same now. NO mealworms for hatchlings anymore here.
My adults eat anything that moves too.

 

[PumpkinPie]

Well thanks everybody!!!! I had no idea that meal worms turned into little Beatles, and yes, my boxies LOVE meal worms!!!! ( I'm surprised some worms actually escaped from Sheldon!!!) I put on some rubber gloves and sifted thru the shavings before I logged bak on and saw this thread, but it's okay cause it drove me nuts knowing those beetles were in there, and I don't know if they would have eaten them anyways. But I'm sure Sheldon and Scarlet don't mind, I gave them plenty more crickets to compensate. Thanks for the facts! You guys rock

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I lost 2 hatchlings that way. Years ago I threw in some meal worms in a small vivarium with two new hatchlings. They didn't eat them, they turned into two big ugly black beetles, and after a few days when the baby's didn't come up, I dug them out to soak them and there were two empty shells. I was in shock. I don't give mealworms to hatchlings anymore now.

Omg!!! I am so sorry that happened to you, that must have been incredibly difficult on you thank you for sharing though, it's good to know things like this.