Tortoise enclosure insect problem

[mootmoo]

Hi

So recently, when I visit my indoor tortoise enclosure to check up on my juvenile hermann's tortoise, there always seems to be this hell lot of insects just squirming all over the place. I live in Hong Kong, so it's always humid and all, but I change my bedding occasionally (I use zoomed's repti bark bedding for her).

My question is : Will these insects harm my tortoise? How do I get rid of them? How often should I change my bedding? Why are there insects in my enclosure? What should I do?

Please help, for I absolutely abhor insects and I have terrapins and hamsters in the same room, and I really don't want my house to be infested with insects.

Thank you!

 

[Yvonne G]

I sense that you're not in the U.S., so I don't know what you have available to you. Here in the U.S. we can use the sticky traps like shown here:

http://parkseed.com/product.aspx?p=...&cagpspn=pla&gclid=CKHT4svLnbcCFSjZQgod5FcAZQ

with no harm to the tortoise. They also make a vapor bar but I don't have experience with that one.

You can also add pill bugs/sow bugs to keep your habitat clean, but I don't think they eat the other bugs:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armadillidiidae

 

[conservation]

I like the idea of incorporating insect eating plants http://listverse.com/2011/06/09/top-10-fascinating-carnivorous-plants/ in the room or in the cage.