Substrate

[ILoveTortoises2]

Ok so about 2 weeks ago I bought 3 bags top soil from Home Depot for my 4 foot by 2 foot enclosure. So last Saturday in the morning I went ot get my little torts some fresh water and some fresh food like I always do in the morning times. So when I put the food & water down I left them to eat. I came back about 2 hours and in there water I see these little white things in there water that were moving. Now when I say little I mean LITTLE. they were just all in the water. Now I was like well maybe it was a bad batch of water so I dumped the water in the toilet and washed it out and gave them some more new water brought it back to there enclosure and left. I came back about 2 hours later and BOOM there were those nasty bugs or whatever they were in their water AGAIN. Now that grossed me out. So I took my torts out put them in there soak and got some trash bags and cleaned EVERYTHING out of the enclosure. Now I have NO darn clue what those were but whatever it was grossed me out and now I'm scared to use the top soil again and now here I am trying to figure out what to use now. I don't want bugs in my house at all. I can't do bugs just can't. So I'm wondering what I could use that is soil or something like soil BUT doesn't have bugs in it?? I went to Petco and seen about the coco coir but I really don't like it because if my torts get out of there soak I have to dry them off completely and it is pain trying to get there whole legs because they go into their shell. So they look like a coco coir monster 10 mins after I put them in there THEN I have to clean them off again. it is a real pain. So like I said I went to Petco and I got this stuff that is called Jungle Mix. It looks like soil but I don't know if it is. I haven't tried it yet because I just got it. So anyone have anything that I might like that has NO bugs? I would LOVEEEEEE to find soil because I liked it but if it has bug N.O LOL...
ANYWAYS.... Sorry for the book here just needed to explain

 

[Saleama]

Those were most likely fruit fly babies. I saw those in my water once, poured it out and thought nothing of it for a few days. Next thing I know my entire apartment was infested. I have heard people suggest that you should bake or freeze your top soil before using it. I have also heard that lemon grass oil will kill them. I got some food grade DE last week and I am going to put that in my enclosures. If you want a more eco friendly method, try and find some doodle bugs. Oh, and Venus fly traps work but you need a bunch of them.

Also, coco coir works well but if you do not get all the little buggers from the first infestation they will gladdly move into the new substrate!

 

[ILoveTortoises2]

Those were most likely fruit fly babies. I saw those in my water once, poured it out and thought nothing of it for a few days. Next thing I know my entire apartment was infested. I have heard people suggest that you should bake or freeze your top soil before using it. I have also heard that lemon grass oil will kill them. I got some food grade DE last week and I am going to put that in my enclosures. If you want a more eco friendly method, try and find some doodle bugs. Oh, and Venus fly traps work but you need a bunch of them.

Also, coco coir works well but if you do not get all the little buggers from the first infestation they will gladdly move into the new substrate!

Ohhh great... I had fruit flies in here a few weeks ago and was like were the heck are these coming from. I couldn't figure it out and still can't. So I took everything out and I had a plastic bag in the enclosure then the top soil on it so I was able to get all the soil out then grab the bag and throw it away clean the inside out and then put a new bag in there. Now is the soil the problem or was it something else? Also what brings fruit flies?? I don't want them in here. People told me to use these Doodle Bugs but do they eat these baby fruit flies & other kinds of bugs that would be in the soil??? I just want a soil that has NO bugs.... I'm NOT a bug person.

 

[StarSapphire22]

Do torts not eat the venus fly traps?