Help! Trying not to freak out!

[Golden Greek Tortoise 567]

Are they red bugs? Those bugs that burrow into your skin.

Are you talking about Chigger mites?

 

[moriah2971]

Are they red bugs? Those bugs that burrow into your skin.

I would say more brown with a reddish tint but more brown than red.

 

[KarenSoCal]

A few years ago I looked at my dog's stomach area and saw what looked like flea poop. Extremely tiny black dots that were slightly difficult to remove from his skin and hair.

He has a crate in my closet that he likes to sleep in at night. I looked at the carpet and saw hundreds of black dots...walking!

It seems he carried in on his fur whatever dog ticks hatch out of. You had to view them under magnification to see what they were. With further inspection, I found hundreds more strolling around my bedroom. A simple bug bomb ended them.

Maybe your tortoise brushed up against the wrong bush?

 

[ArmadilloPup]

I may have missed someone saying this, but for future reference, you can ask for fir bark. Orchid bark is more of the useage term/brand, but it’s made from the fir.

Where I originally came from, there used to be a lot of conifer forests, but introduced pests (including humans) knocked them out. We used to always find mites in any moist type of bark, so we were taught to freeze substrate before using it for animals.

But those kinda look like bed bugs to me ?

 

[Olivertort1]

We just changed our turtles substrate from organically soil to Cypress mulch purchased from Lowe’s. I tried to find Orchid bark from 4 stores and no one even knew what I was talking about. My daughter took the tortoise outside for sun and came back inside and he had these baby insects in a clutter on his leg! What is this?! Was this from the cypress substrate or outside? I live in north MS if that helps with any information. I’m attaching a picture. They are so tiny. Trying not to freak out.

View attachment 303917

I am in SC and they sound like red spider mites. You see them in sphagnum moss hanging on the trees and could easily be in the cypress mulch also. I don’t think they will

We just changed our turtles substrate from organically soil to Cypress mulch purchased from Lowe’s. I tried to find Orchid bark from 4 stores and no one even knew what I was talking about. My daughter took the tortoise outside for sun and came back inside and he had these baby insects in a clutter on his leg! What is this?! Was this from the cypress substrate or outside? I live in north MS if that helps with any information. I’m attaching a picture. They are so tiny. Trying not to freak out.

View attachment 303917

I am from SC and they sound like red bugs, also known as chiggers. You will find them in sphagnum moss hanging from the trees and I am sure they could be in cypress mulch also. I don’t know how they act on tortoises but on human they burrow under the skin and itch like crazy. Only cure is boiling the mulch and letting it sun dry or pitch that bag and get another

 

[Prince's mom]

Just throw it away and use the pet store kind..wash the tank ...less hassle no bugs