Springtails?

[yagyujubei]

I had one of my leopards at the vet yesterday, and she was concerned when she saw tiny insects on her. I told her they were in the substrate, and she said to definately cahnge it. I think that they're springtails, but there's another that I don't know. Anyway, she thinks that they cause stress to the tortoises. If I have to change the substrate, I will, but I have about 250 pounds in there, and really would rather not. If I do, however, I don't want to reintroduce. They either came in the coir, cypress mulch, or bags of cheap topsoil (peat and sand). I'm guessing the topsoil.

 

[Shelly]

Anyway, she thinks that they cause stress to the tortoises.

How?

 

[yagyujubei]

She said by crawling on them, but I can't even feel them. I haven't seen them even notice.

 

[montana]

Are those really spring tails ??

If they are they are harmless ...

Chances are if you change mulch you will have them back in a short time ..

True spring tails can not survive out of an enclosure as they are dependent on High humidity and high temp to keep them alive ..

They die soon after leaving the enclosure ..

Many cultivate spring tails for there frogs and other amphibians ..

If you want to get rid or cut down on them Heat you mulch in the oven at 250 degrees till hot ..

 

[Shelly]

I wouldn't worry about it. Bugs are a part of nature.

 

[Yvonne G]

Do you have sun now where you live? That's a pretty heavy habitat, but if you can get it out into the sun and keep stirring up the substrate so the sun shines on all of it over the whole day, you can probably kill them.

From the bug guide: "Springtails are "decomposers" that thrive mostly on decaying organic matter, especially vegetable matter. They may also graze on spores of molds and mildews, especially indoors where there is a lack of other food sources. "

 

[Jacqui]

Many folks actually put them into their habitats to help keep the enclosure clean.