New owner, a little concerned about russain tortoise

[VictoriaY]

Hi there! I just got my first ever tortoise from Petco, i know not the greatest place, but he was only $30!! So anyways i have yet to see him really eat anything, its been a couple weeks now. He's had some stress let me explain,

We started him in a kiddie pool we had with some semi - wet sand and some leaves until i could build an outdoor enclosure. Don't see him eat really anything i put in the pool for him but i think he's just adjusting. So i finish the outdoor enclosure and put him in there, it seems to go well i even put a hibiscus flower in there for him and see that he's munched on it and even some of the weeds but he tries to escape 80% of the time! Then we got hurricane Irma (Florida) and had to bring him back inside. Again didn't eat. Brought him out again when the storm was over, a couple days, and ants had taken over and started attacking him, so back inside to the pool. Now today and yesterday i decided to get a balloon and taped it to his shell and let him roam the fenced yard. He had barely moved the entire two days he's been out there. Only started moving when my daughters tried to mess with him. He hasn't been getting his vitamins, i think he may be big enough to not need calcium supplements but haven't gotten that either... what do i do? And how do i get these ants away from his area?!

 

[Melis]

What are you feeding? What is the substrate of the new enclosure? (Sand isn't recommended as it can cause impaction.) What are you doing for hydration?

 

[Yvonne G]

Tortoises are territorial, and even though his last territory wasn't the best place for him, he will still continue to try to escape and find his way back there. That's why it's important to give him his own space, and let him get used to living in it. It generally takes about two weeks for them to get used to a new home.

 

[VictoriaY]

What are you feeding? What is the substrate of the new enclosure? (Sand isn't recommended as it can cause impaction.) What are you doing for hydration?

For his outdoor enclosure it's a very small area of dirt and just the natural growing grass/weeds. Just a pin type deal up against my house. About 5x5. Was hoping to keep him out there and let him get used to it but the ants took over! The dirt in there is wet and more like soil.

 

[VictoriaY]

For his outdoor enclosure it's a very small area of dirt and just the natural growing grass/weeds. Just a pin type deal up against my house. About 5x5. Was hoping to keep him out there and let him get used to it but the ants took over! The dirt in there is wet and more like soil.

Oh and feeding him different things to see what he will like, turnip greens, kale, spring mix, spinach, some of the weeds we have in the yard like dandelions and chicory(sp?)

 

[VictoriaY]

Oh and feeding him different things to see what he will like, turnip greens, kale, spring mix, spinach, some of the weeds we have in the yard like dandelions and chicory(sp?)

I was giving him tortoise food pellets and multivitamin dusting too but i realized his food is made with dried fruit and keep reading no fruit??

 

[VictoriaY]

Tortoises are territorial, and even though his last territory wasn't the best place for him, he will still continue to try to escape and find his way back there. That's why it's important to give him his own space, and let him get used to living in it. It generally takes about two weeks for them to get used to a new home.

thank you! Any advice on getting t the ants out and to stay out of his area? They keep attacking him and its a lot of ants.

 

[Yvonne G]

Quite a few folks here use diatomaceous earth. I look for the source (ant hill) then pour poison down it. If the hill is in a tortoise yard, I still use poison, but I cover the spot with a piece of plywood with a large brick on top. Here are some other ant remedies I've collected over the years:

Several Home-made Ant Remedies


1 – Boric Acid

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon of Boric Acid, 1 tsp of Sugar, 4 oz water, Cotton Balls.

Mix Boric Acid and Sugar in a bowl. This can be poured over a cotton wad in

a small dish or bottle cap. Keep this from drying out for continued

effectiveness. Place Cotton balls in path of Ants. If the ants are drawn to sugar, if you make a solution of boric acid and sugar, not too much boric acid initially, the ants will eat it up take it to their young and feed it to them. This method will kill the entire nest in about two weeks. The solution should initially be weak because you don't want them to taste the boric acid and you don't want to kill the ants before they feed the rest of the nest. If they are protein eating ants mix the boric acid in broth.


2 – Another Boric Acid


>> 1 teaspoon boric acid (available at any drug store,, $2.99 for 4 oz) 6 tablespoons sugar

>> 2 cups water

>> mix together in a jar till all dissolved,, label and store safely.

>>Soak a few cotton balls with it, then put them in a small, covered plastic >container (margarine or <?>) with a few small openings in it for the ants to >get in, (I also put a brick on top so other curious creatures could not get >in)and then freshen it 1-2 times a week.

>> This is a slow acting 1 percent solution to get them to take some back to

>> the nest and even feed the queen :>

>>after a few weeks changing to a 1/2 percent solution should keep them gone.


3 - bacon grease

....in a margarine tub which is sunk into the ground level. The ants here can smell animal fat from what seems like a mile away...Around the outside of the margarine tub I place a big circle of boric acid...and cover it with a rock. The ants have to walk through the boric acid to get to the bacon grease, then back through it on the way out. If they get back to the nest carrying it on their legs, it kills whatever it comes into contact with. We have 4or 5 species of ants here...two of which are lethal!


4 - Found this in Jerry Bakers stuff

Ant Ambrosia

4-5 tbsp. of cornmeal

3 tbsp. of bacon grease

3 tbsp. of baking powder

3 packages of baker's yeast


Mix the cornmeal and bacon grease into a paste, then add the baking powder and yeast. Dab the gooey mix on the sides of jar lids, and set them near the anthills. The pesky critters will love it to death!!""



5 - If you can't find Everclear, liquefy orange peels and pour it around the ant hills. You may get fruit flies, but you won't have any trouble with ants!


6 - I have a friend that put a circle of diatomaceous earth around her aviaries and

effectively kept the ants out that way. She also uses it to directly attack any hills in the area.


7 - I believe that the "new age chalk" is a combination of diatomaceous earth and boric acid. Boric acid is the major component in "Roach Proof" and is a fairly benign and very effective means of insect control.


8 - Amdro is another effective treatment, but it is an actual poison, but safer than others. Both Amdro and Logic are baits that the ants pick up and take into the mound so that the queen eats it.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, Victoria, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
Have you read http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/ ?

 

[VictoriaY]

Quite a few folks here use diatomaceous earth. I look for the source (ant hill) then pour poison down it. If the hill is in a tortoise yard, I still use poison, but I cover the spot with a piece of plywood with a large brick on top. Here are some other ant remedies I've collected over the years:

Several Home-made Ant Remedies


1 – Boric Acid

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon of Boric Acid, 1 tsp of Sugar, 4 oz water, Cotton Balls.

Mix Boric Acid and Sugar in a bowl. This can be poured over a cotton wad in

a small dish or bottle cap. Keep this from drying out for continued

effectiveness. Place Cotton balls in path of Ants. If the ants are drawn to sugar, if you make a solution of boric acid and sugar, not too much boric acid initially, the ants will eat it up take it to their young and feed it to them. This method will kill the entire nest in about two weeks. The solution should initially be weak because you don't want them to taste the boric acid and you don't want to kill the ants before they feed the rest of the nest. If they are protein eating ants mix the boric acid in broth.


2 – Another Boric Acid


>> 1 teaspoon boric acid (available at any drug store,, $2.99 for 4 oz) 6 tablespoons sugar

>> 2 cups water

>> mix together in a jar till all dissolved,, label and store safely.

>>Soak a few cotton balls with it, then put them in a small, covered plastic >container (margarine or <?>) with a few small openings in it for the ants to >get in, (I also put a brick on top so other curious creatures could not get >in)and then freshen it 1-2 times a week.

>> This is a slow acting 1 percent solution to get them to take some back to

>> the nest and even feed the queen :>

>>after a few weeks changing to a 1/2 percent solution should keep them gone.


3 - bacon grease

....in a margarine tub which is sunk into the ground level. The ants here can smell animal fat from what seems like a mile away...Around the outside of the margarine tub I place a big circle of boric acid...and cover it with a rock. The ants have to walk through the boric acid to get to the bacon grease, then back through it on the way out. If they get back to the nest carrying it on their legs, it kills whatever it comes into contact with. We have 4or 5 species of ants here...two of which are lethal!


4 - Found this in Jerry Bakers stuff

Ant Ambrosia

4-5 tbsp. of cornmeal

3 tbsp. of bacon grease

3 tbsp. of baking powder

3 packages of baker's yeast


Mix the cornmeal and bacon grease into a paste, then add the baking powder and yeast. Dab the gooey mix on the sides of jar lids, and set them near the anthills. The pesky critters will love it to death!!""



5 - If you can't find Everclear, liquefy orange peels and pour it around the ant hills. You may get fruit flies, but you won't have any trouble with ants!


6 - I have a friend that put a circle of diatomaceous earth around her aviaries and

effectively kept the ants out that way. She also uses it to directly attack any hills in the area.


7 - I believe that the "new age chalk" is a combination of diatomaceous earth and boric acid. Boric acid is the major component in "Roach Proof" and is a fairly benign and very effective means of insect control.


8 - Amdro is another effective treatment, but it is an actual poison, but safer than others. Both Amdro and Logic are baits that the ants pick up and take into the mound so that the queen eats it.

Wow lots of great options and very detailed, gonna try these out. He's still sleeping. Going on day 3. Definitely still alive but just not wanting to move around.

 

[RosemaryDW]

You’ve got a hide in there for him, right? I’m sure you do, just making extra sure.

I know it’s hard to wait for them to settle in but the little guy has been through a lot and needs some time.

 

[Digger&Blinky]

Make sure his substrate isnt really wet he could get shell rot