1 Year Old Cherry-Head in Oregon

[kathrs]

Hi all! I have a very sweet cherry-head named Toaster (he is VERY brave). I’ve had him for almost one year and got him as a baby. When I first got him (last June) I would take him outside a few times per day - VERY supervised (he had a tortoise kiddy pool or I would sit in the grass with him). But about a month or so later, we had a bad wasp problem and they would immediately swarm him and crawl up his shell, so I stopped bringing him out for his safety. My question is: I am planning to build him an outdoor area this year with protective wiring etc, does anyone have any recommendations to keep bees/wasps away? I took him out today for the first time since last summer and he lived his best tortoise life.

I also am planning to get a second male tortoise to keep him company - has anyone had any experience with this?

 

[Yvonne G]

Not a good idea to add one tortoise to only one existing tortoise. They don't do well in pairs. Three or more is fine, but two hardly ever works.

It's strange to me that wasps swarm a cold blooded animal. It might be that you had been feeding him something that attracted the wasps. I've never heard of that, so I can't offer any advice, sorry.

Welcome to the Forum!

 

[wellington]

I agree with not getting another tortoise. They are solitary animals and do not want a friend. It just puts them in a life of stress and one bullying the other.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I've never seen a bee, wasp or hornet show any interest in any of my tortoises. Only in some high sugar content fruits.
That seems very unusual. Is there a wasp colony nearby? Yellow Jackets for example can live in holes underground. If you plopped the pool nearby, it might disturb them.
And yes. Don't get a 2nd tort unless you make plans for a 2nd enclosure and even then, two males living near each other will be stressful to both of them. Tortoises don't make friends with other tortoises and they don't get lonely. They'll live their best life with just you.
Find out what's going on with the wasps before going back outside. Or go outside in a different location.
Sunlight (UVB LIGHT) is absolutely essential for health

 

[kathrs]

Thank you guys so much! He is my first non-mammal pet and I stress about his well-being constantly.

I won’t get another tortoise - thank you for the information about stress.

About the bees: last year we did have a substantial wasp issue in my area. I made him a baby pool area (sand, rocks, hides, bark chips, water area etc) I moved it all around the yard and noticed it would be covered in wasps no matter where it was. Then I just took him out in the grass and sat with him, but within minutes they would be on his shell.

I took him out for the first time this year and he had the time of his tortoise life.

Thank you all again for the feedback!

 

[razorseal]

What a cutie!