The substrate (cypress mulch on top of sand) in the big RF's greenhouse is crawling with those little bugs now! ARGH! That's A LOT of substrate to take out!

I thought the mulch wouldn't attract those little bugs?!??! What can I use for substrate so that won't happen???? It's a 4x7 space so will need to get a lot of whatever...

now i read somewhere that these are just a harmless part of the environment? what do you think??

Kelly it might have something to do with the sand. If the cypress is 100% natural/kiln dried then it's the sand. Sorry.. but I don't know who's idea it was to put the cypress on top of sand. But I wouldn't think there would be anything in the sand. The only other possiblity is introduction via feces.. and they eat that.. [ I know 'ooooooooooogy' ] and/or you clean it up right away!

Cypress is the only thing [ besides the sphag. moss ] that I've ever used - and I know you don't want to hear that I've never seen any bugs in mine.

Yah I've seen Shuto eating the poop. Just gross man! The RF's themselves don't have any bugs on them, though... You know what? Since I had a vinyl liner on the cement basement floor, I threw down sand first as an "insulator" type of thing, then threw the mulch over it. Yah yah, my bright idea.

So if I scoop out ALL the current substrate, and wipe down the liner with a damp rag - water only - ('cause I totally do NOT want to have to replace the whole thing, that'd take FOREVER to move the greenhouse of of it), then just lay down a bunch of new mulch, should that do it?

Are those stupid little bugs that much of an issue?

If they are in the mulch and not on the torts then it's not an issue to the torts (any larva would probably be seen by them as treats) , so if it's not an issue to you,oh well.

What kind of bugs? Fungus gnats are small black bugs sort of 1/2 way between flies and mosquitoes that lay their eggs in any moist habitat- over-watered potted plants, damp greenhouses, tortoise enclosures...

Wikipedia has a good article on them and their control. I had them a couple times before I switched to a slightly drier substrate and a high-humidity hide.

As far as I can tell, the gnats pose no real threat to use or the tortoises, but may be a problems for some plants.

i hope this never happens to me. i feel for you kelly!

there's lots of little harmless bugs that can live in 'tats like tortoise 'tats. I know in hermit crab tanks it's quite common to get springtails and other little bugs. Some people even introduce pillbugs to clean up after the crabs so to speak. Before freaking out and uprooting everyone to clean the substrate, check into if the bugs are harmful or not they may even be beneficial, they might like tortoise poop

The bugs them selves can be harmless. But their waste is not. As it breaks down it can produce ammonia and high ratio of bacteria that can cause respiratory problems in tortoises.

I use newspaper and clean it daily for my indoor enclosure It is cheep, clean, and recyclable. No chance of bugs good or bad They get to enjoy the sun and dirt daily when they go out into their outdoor enclosure. When they were very tiny they had a screen covered (to keep ravens from stealing them) little enclosure and spent only a few hours out a day. I used a full spectum bulb and a ceramic heat lamp the desert torts like to be warm Nowadays they are bigger and spend all day outside in a big enclosure and night indoors, I am paranoid about racoons.