Spiders in Tort's home

[rissa_noelle]

Today I just found two, small, brown spiders hanging out in their webs in my tortoise's enclosure. I'm not sure if this is common or if they are a danger to my tort. He's an almost year old sulcata. His enclosure is indoors and we live in Utah. After doing research I'm worried that it could be a Hobo Spider? If not, and they're harmless, I'm wondering if it's beneficial to keep the spiders in the enclosure to help eat bugs? Any tips would be appreciated about what to do with these guys.

 

[EmeraldxxEyesx]

Im not a tortoise or spider expert but I wouldnt keep them in there in case they bite the tort or have babies. You'd have baby spiders everywhere.

 

[Tom]

All of my adult tortoises live outside. About 3 of them in 9 night boxes. I go around every night and make sure they are all in their boxes, check the temperatures, and latch their doors shut until morning. There are probably half a dozen spiders, a dozen roaches, a dozen crickets, roly poly bugs, darkling beetles, pincher bugs, silverfish, phorid flies, and many more. I occasionally find a scorpion, and black widows are every where by the 100s.

Even if I spent hours removing them all every night, they'd be back by morning. Nothing I can do about it unless I want to drop a pesticide bomb on the entire 5 acre ranch and all the ranches of my neighbors too. Even that toxic wasteland would only last a few days before they started all moving back in.

In short, a few bugs do no harm. The only one I really worry about and deal with are the ants. I smash 100s of black widows every summer too, but it doesn't seem to even put a dent in their population.

 

[EmeraldxxEyesx]

All of my adult tortoises live outside. About 3 of them in 9 night boxes. I go around every night and make sure they are all in their boxes, check the temperatures, and latch their doors shut until morning. There are probably half a dozen spiders, a dozen roaches, a dozen crickets, roly poly bugs, darkling beetles, pincher bugs, silverfish, phorid flies, and many more. I occasionally find a scorpion, and black widows are every where by the 100s.

Even if I spent hours removing them all every night, they'd be back by morning. Nothing I can do about it unless I want to drop a pesticide bomb on the entire 5 acre ranch and all the ranches of my neighbors too. Even that toxic wasteland would only last a few days before they started all moving back in.

In short, a few bugs do no harm. The only one I really worry about and deal with are the ants. I smash 100s of black widows every summer too, but it doesn't seem to even put a dent in their population.

You're braver than I am. I cant stand spiders, scorpions and silverfish. My son put a shirt on for school and a silverfish ran in his armpit. I would have lit myself on fire [emoji23].

Toms the expert, Id listen to him!

 

[KarenSoCal]

There are probably half a dozen spiders, a dozen roaches, a dozen crickets, roly poly bugs, darkling beetles, pincher bugs, silverfish, phorid flies, and many more. I occasionally find a scorpion, and black widows are every where by the 100s.

Gosh, Tom, I'm surprised you don't just invite them all in to be pets! LOL!

 

[Bambam1989]

Gosh, Tom, I'm surprised you don't just invite them all in to be pets! LOL!

Free range pets[emoji6]

 

[Tom]

Free range pets[emoji6]

I have local wild lizards in my entry way that run over and take roaches right out of my hand. Its awesome. They follow me around begging like little scaly puppies. I have to be careful not to step on them.