Teeny Tiny White BUGS!!!!!!!!!!!

[MildredsMommy]

So yesterday I picked up Jerry Lee just to inspect him, and noticed he had tinnnnny tinnnny little white bugs crawling around on his shell
What is this??? Mites? Lice? Its not in my Ornate's enclosure or my TT's enclosure-just my RF. HELP!!!

 

[Saleama]

Might be baby fruit flys. Do you have a fruit fly issue that you know of? I once had a tiny black ant issue but they turned out to be beneficial and then went away on their own.

 

[MikeCow1]

Sounds like mites. What substrate are you using?

 

[Saleama]

Get some doodle bugs. They eat mites and also fruit fly babies and eggs!

 

[Sh3wulf]

What is a doodlebug? Is that a pill bug?

 

[MildredsMommy]

Sounds like mites. What substrate are you using?

I have coconut coir, reptibark, and spaghum moss (in his humid hide). I read something that sounded like they could be snow fleas??? I know this will sound really stupid, but does some place sell pill bugs, or do I have to collect them myself?

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Might be baby fruit flys. Do you have a fruit fly issue that you know of? I once had a tiny black ant issue but they turned out to be beneficial and then went away on their own.

Not that I am aware of-the only thing bug-wise I have noticed up until now was some gnats in my Ornate's enclosure due to the plants.

 

[Saleama]

What is a doodlebug? Is that a pill bug?

LOL... Yes, a pill bug. We called them doodle bugs in south Texas where I grew up.

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I never found a place that sold them. Place a large stone or piece of wood on the ground and make sure it is nice and damp under it. They will find it. You can look under logs and rocks but be careful if you are in snake country.

 

[MikeCow1]

Pill bugs don't eat mites, though. They do eat the same decomposing food that mites do and might lessen them. But, the torts will eat the pill bugs before they could do much good. I find freezing my substrate before using helps. But keeping up on removing uneaten food and poop helps a lot too

 

[ILoveTortoises2]

See I had the problem too. I had these little white things in my torts water bowl. So I don't know if I will be able to find these doodle bugs because it is cold out now. I would really like to get some of these doodle bugs and see if they really work. Of course I got rid of these white bugs. I believe they were fruit flies because someone had told me this. I did have a few fruit flies in my house about a week to 2 weeks before I found these in the enclosure. So I believe they were the fruit flies. Damn things are a pain in the butt.... Anyways if I could get some doodle bugs too that would be GREAT.
Oh and torts will eat these doodle bugs???

 

[MildredsMommy]

See I had the problem too. I had these little white things in my torts water bowl. So I don't know if I will be able to find these doodle bugs because it is cold out now. I would really like to get some of these doodle bugs and see if they really work. Of course I got rid of these white bugs. I believe they were fruit flies because someone had told me this. I did have a few fruit flies in my house about a week to 2 weeks before I found these in the enclosure. So I believe they were the fruit flies. Damn things are a pain in the butt.... Anyways if I could get some doodle bugs too that would be GREAT.
Oh and torts will eat these doodle bugs???

Just out of curiousity, what did you do to get rid of them? I am scared they will hurt my tortoise???

 

[N2TORTS]

The two most likely critters you see are. 1# is a Soil Lice …# 2 Soil Mite . Grab a magnifying glass and check their legs out. On your little bugs do they have 6 legs? If so, then they're not mites Taxonomically mites are in the Arachnids and related to spiders and have 8 legs. Soil mites are natural decomposers and appear practically anywhere once the organic matter in the potting soil reaches a point of decomposition.

 

[ILoveTortoises2]

Just out of curiousity, what did you do to get rid of them? I am scared they will hurt my tortoise???
[/quote]

I took my torts out of their enclosure put them in a nice warm soak. While my torts were soaking I took a huge black trash bag double bagged it (keep in mind my enclosure it 4 foot by 2 foot) so if a hole was created inside by mistake or was a hole already in the bag I had the second bag to cover that. Then after I did that washed the enclosure with soap & water to get any dirty that dropped on the bottom then took all purpose cleaner and cleaned it again. I let that air dry for a few days & so the smell would fade away. Then I started putting the enclosure back together again. While I was doing all this my torts went into there 40 gallon tank just till I was done with cleaning it and the smell was gone. Once I switched them in the 40 gallon I didn't see anymore of those bugs at all. So I was happy. I get freaked out with bugs. EWWW

 

[MildredsMommy]

The two most likely critters you see are. 1# is a Soil Lice …# 2 Soil Mite . Grab a magnifying glass and check their legs out. On your little bugs do they have 6 legs? If so, then they're not mites Taxonomically mites are in the Arachnids and related to spiders and have 8 legs. Soil mites are natural decomposers and appear practically anywhere once the organic matter in the potting soil reaches a point of decomposition.

gotcha. Basically they are harmless to my torts, then? I guess thats my main concern.

 

[mike taylor]

Re: RE: Teeny Tiny White BUGS!!!!!!!!!!!

See I had the problem too. I had these little white things in my torts water bowl. So I don't know if I will be able to find these doodle bugs because it is cold out now. I would really like to get some of these doodle bugs and see if they really work. Of course I got rid of these white bugs. I believe they were fruit flies because someone had told me this. I did have a few fruit flies in my house about a week to 2 weeks before I found these in the enclosure. So I believe they were the fruit flies. Damn things are a pain in the butt.... Anyways if I could get some doodle bugs too that would be GREAT.
Oh and torts will eat these doodle bugs???

Just out of curiousity, what did you do to get rid of them? I am scared they will hurt my tortoise???

---

See I had the problem too. I had these little white things in my torts water bowl. So I don't know if I will be able to find these doodle bugs because it is cold out now. I would really like to get some of these doodle bugs and see if they really work. Of course I got rid of these white bugs. I believe they were fruit flies because someone had told me this. I did have a few fruit flies in my house about a week to 2 weeks before I found these in the enclosure. So I believe they were the fruit flies. Damn things are a pain in the butt.... Anyways if I could get some doodle bugs too that would be GREAT.
Oh and torts will eat these doodle bugs???

Just out of curiousity, what did you do to get rid of them? I am scared they will hurt my tortoise???

 

[N2TORTS]

yes they are harmless...... picking up all non -ate foods, and substrates with less organic material will help reduce these pesky lil bugs.

 

[Mgridgaway]

Fruit flies is my guess, mostly because I'm dealing with them myself. They are a big pain. None of the traps I've made help.