There is tiny silver/white bugs under my tortoises water dish :(

[Janine]

I can't take a picture as the bugs are so small. After doing some research they looks like either springtails or pinhead crickets. They actually seem smaller than a pinhead, most would need a magnifying glass to see them. They are only under the water dish and there is loads of them. They seem to burrow into the soil. (My substrate is 100% topsoil) . My tortoise is in an indoor tortoise table.

I like soil as substrate it keeps humidity, it natural and i can put plants into it. But is there any substrates I can use that are cleaner? That organisms cant live in?

 

[Janine]

I forgot to mention they are good jumpers

 

[Yvonne G]

Springtails! You have them because they thrive in moist soil. They actually clean up the substrate, eating mold, etc. They only bother you. The tortoise couldn't care less.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

They are kind of little helpers if you really want them gone, I found some pillbugs outdoors (to get rid of my substrate nats, they don't help ) and added them in, and now there is a thriving colony, they also eat all then leftover bleh stuff!

 

[tortoise_luvergirl]

I found cypress Mulch works good.. but keep it clean, pick out uneaten food/waste daily. I no longer spritz it with willows age but do soak her as well as provide a large dish of fresh water daily.

 

[crissyshine]

I had these at one point too. I thought it was gross!
I had one of the water dishes that look like a rock with a hole in it. Now I have a small China bowl. I pushed all the substrate away from the water dish and now my tort has to climb up in (not too high though) and he can easily get out of.
Bugs are all gone!
I also pick out all the food he throws around in his tank when he eats.