Mites in tortoise substrate

[EchoTheTort]

Hi all,

I have soil in my tortoise cage, and calcium sand under the lamp. Yesterday I was watching my tortoise and I realised that there are tiny white/silvery bugs running in the sand and soil. The cage is in my bedroom and I really don't want them to spread elsewhere :s What are they and how do I get rid of them? How can I clean the sand as I do not have anymore? Where did they come from?

Im really worried

 

[tortnmutt]

I don't think they're mites. I used to get super tiny white bugs in is food and under his water dish. Someone told me they're harmless and more of a nuisance but you can get rolly polly bugs to keep in the enclosure and they'll eat the bugs?

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Sand is not a good substrate. It gets on their food, they eat it and become impacted....Don't use sand...

 

[EchoTheTort]

I don't think they're mites. I used to get super tiny white bugs in is food and under his water dish. Someone told me they're harmless and more of a nuisance but you can get rolly polly bugs to keep in the enclosure and they'll eat the bugs?

Thankyou. I cleaned out her cage today and I have put clean substrate in and cleaned everything in it. I think they're gone now.

 

[EchoTheTort]

Sand is not a good substrate. It gets on their food, they eat it and become impacted....Don't use sand...

There is only one patch of sand under the lamp and she doesn't eat on it. I make sure she has a clean piece of slate to eat off. I have used for almost a year without any problems. Thankyou

 

[lismar79]

You can also take your tort out, and pour boiling water over substrate. Helps keep the little.bugs to a managable level.

 

[EchoTheTort]

You can also take your tort out, and pour boiling water over substrate. Helps keep the little.bugs to a managable level.

Thankyou

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Ahhg... Sand! As @maggie3fan said, it's bad for your tort! I used to have those little bugs, they like food that sits out, and wet substrate. If you look around, lots of people talk about the 'wet substrate nats they've been plagued with!

 

[ascott]

The "springtails" will show back up, they are in the soil. They are a part of a healthy soil make up...adding pill bugs and nightcrawlers and the like will help to control the health of the soil....springtails, pill bugs, stink bugs are all decomposers...this is their life meaning and they do it well...while they may be a little creepy to us humans, they are part of the dirt critter world and well, you have a critter that lives in/on the dirt

I also would remove the sand, especially if it is calci sand, that is an attractive nuisance....you can offer up a calcium block designed for birds or the one designed for tortoise and that would be a much better option....I know you say the tort has been fine for a year, so I would take that as a blessing that he has not become impacted...but hey, if you don't want the advice from those of us that have treated severely impacted torts then disregard our offers of advice