# Little tiny bugs found



## Buddytheboxie (Jan 20, 2017)

so this is the second time I found these bugs in Buddy's tank. So far they are only hanging around his water dish. Last time I took every thing in his tank and soaked in dawn soap and water for like a hour then cleaned everything out and put all new dirt in his tank. Well they are back..... I know for a fact they are not fruit flies for they are not flying around. Any idea what they are??? I tried taking pictures of them. 

I want to know if they are harmful to my box turtle. They are tiny and white and might have a black stripe on them.


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## PJay (Jan 20, 2017)

I'm having a hard time seeing them in your pictures but I know from experience that springtails can match your description and many box turtle and tortoise keepers report having had them at one point or another. Springtails are not harmful to our shelled friends and are found In many environments.

Search the internet for springtails and see if they look similar.


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## wellington (Jan 20, 2017)

Just about everyone gets them. Baking your substrate, 200-250 for about 3 hours will keep them away the longest.


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## Buddytheboxie (Jan 20, 2017)

PJay said:


> I'm having a hard time seeing them in your pictures but I know from experience that springtails can match your description and many box turtle and tortoise keepers report having had them at one point or another. Springtails are not harmful to our shelled friends and are found In many environments.
> 
> Search the internet for springtails and see if they look similar.



They kinda look like springtails. However these annoying things are all white with a horizontal black stripe (some have a stripe not all) and they move really fast. The spring tails I looked up are knots all black. Do you think thy are the same?? 
I attached a close up of the things


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## Buddytheboxie (Jan 20, 2017)

wellington said:


> Just about everyone gets them. Baking your substrate, 200-250 for about 3 hours will keep them away the longest.


I will try this if I find more of them! If they are not harmful to him they can stay... lol but if they are I will do everything to get rid of them!!


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## wellington (Jan 21, 2017)

Buddytheboxie said:


> I will try this if I find more of them! If they are not harmful to him they can stay... lol but if they are I will do everything to get rid of them!!


Not harmful. Just annoying to us


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## Buddytheboxie (Jan 21, 2017)

wellington said:


> Not harmful. Just annoying to us


Okay then I guess they can stay lol 

Thank you


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## PJay (Jan 21, 2017)

Buddytheboxie said:


> They kinda look like springtails. However these annoying things are all white with a horizontal black stripe (some have a stripe not all) and they move really fast. The spring tails I looked up are knots all black. Do you think thy are the same??
> I attached a close up of the things


Check out this link: http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/springtails/

There is a picture of white springtails, some of which have a dark stripe down their body. I'm assuming this is the contents of their digestive tract. I've noticed the same stripe on grub worms I find in the yard and even on shrimp from the market that haven't been de-veined. I had them in my box turtle tubs once and just tossed the substrate, scrubbed the tubs and replaced the substrate. I haven't seen any for 5 months now. Some say you can add pill bugs to the substrate and they will eat all the springtails eggs and interrupt the reproductive cycle.


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## Buddytheboxie (Jan 21, 2017)

PJay said:


> Check out this link: http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/springtails/
> 
> There is a picture of white springtails, some of which have a dark stripe down their body. I'm assuming this is the contents of their digestive tract. I've noticed the same stripe on grub worms I find in the yard and even on shrimp from the market that haven't been de-veined. I had them in my box turtle tubs once and just tossed the substrate, scrubbed the tubs and replaced the substrate. I haven't seen any for 5 months now. Some say you can add pill bugs to the substrate and they will eat all the springtails eggs and interrupt the reproductive cycle.


Okay by the pictures and the description I am going with these are it. I did get new dirt and vacuumed the tank and cleaned everything by hand the last time and it was maybe less than 5 months ago. If they are harmless they can stay. I will probably wait till the summer to dig up some rolly pollys and put them in the dirt. But I will cross that bridge when I get there. 
Thank you everyone!


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