Little worms found in substrate

[Jon c]

Doing my weekly soaking and stirring up of the substrate(repti bark/fir bark) today and noticed a little tan-clear inch worm looking thing. Saw another one about 20 mins later chilling right under my torts belly when he got up and moved from his burrow. ShouI'd I be worried about these things?

 

[Tom]

Sounds like a maggot. Got a pic?

If it is, they eat dead rotting stuff and won't harm your tortoise.

 

[Jon c]

Ok thanks let me try to find another and I'll grab a pic

 

[Jon c]

 

[Chubbs the tegu]

Kinda looks a lil like a meal worm but not. Like those beatlejuice mofos!

 

[Chubbs the tegu]

I would think some kind of beetle larvae

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Yeah
Its NOT an internal parasitic worm.
At least not one I've ever seen. It's also too large.
That's good news.
Probably some sort of flying bug larvae.
I saw something very much like that years ago in a new 25 pound bag a Mazuri that a few days later turned my garage into moth land.

 

[Blastoise]

If I saw that I would probably change the substrate, but thats just me.

 

[Sarah2020]

I would remove all substrate and deep clean all contents and reinstate with new substrate and if you have any left over from previous throw it out and use new fresh batch. Keep the tortoise in a side box whilst this activity is going on and give them a bath prior to putting them back. I use reptiles cleaning fluid on all dishes and housing with hot water NOT to be used on or near the tortoise.

 

[Jon c]

This is the biggest one I've seen... Sorry to be beating a dead horse, but I seem to be getting mixed feelings on this whole topic. I've read about some people who purposely introduce little cleaner bugs into their set up. I get right to the bottom of when I stir things up weekly and never any signs of grossness, repti bark is only about 6 months old. What do you guys think?