Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone had any input on this. I just noticed little tiny bugs in my redfoot enclosure. They look like little flies, and they're crawling all over the substrate. I am using a mixture of topsoil, sphagnum moss, and cypress mulch for my substrate, and I mist it several times a day, but I keep it clean and remove any uneaten food every day. Has anyone else had something like this, and do you know if its dangerous for my redfoot? Any input would be great. Thanks.

I had the same problem or something very similar to it back in late summer. I thought at first that I had introduced mites into the pen, then saw that the bugs would fly off of the tortoise then land back on him. Closer inspection showed that they were in the substrate, and probably laying eggs.

I replaced the substrate, soaked the tortoise, and hung one half of a No-Pest-Strip in the pen over night. They disappeared for about three months, then returned. I used another No-Pest-Strip and over night they again vanished. I have not seen them since.

I've since switched from using Cypress Mulch to a Fir based mulch. I've read that certain types of flys, and knats, prefer Cypress Mulch for laying their eggs over other types of wood chips.

Hope this helps!
-Kory

Thanks for the reply. Where did you buy the no pest strips? I use cypress mulch also, so maybe I will switch. How is the kind you're using now with holding in moisture and humidity? I still haven't changed the whole tank to get rid of the bugs (i'm doing that this weekend) so maybe when i do i will change my choice of substrates also. The bugs don't seem to bother her, but sometimes I find them sitting on her or in her food, so i definately want to get rid of them! Thanks for your help!

I bought the strips at Home Depot. They cost about $5 bucks. Be careful if you use these. Make sure to have good airflow for the tortoise, and DO NOT leave the strips in or around the cage for more than 8hrs. These strips will cause kidney damage if the tortoise is exposed for too long. Big Apple Herp also sells a "No-Pest-Strip". They advertise here, I think.

It would probably be safer to move the tortoise overnight, replace the bedding, and use the strip without the tortoise in the cage. This should eliminate anything left in the cage, or around it.

The bedding that I am using holds the humidity much higher than the Cypress mulch did. I find that I am spraying it once per day instead of 2 or 3 times. I am also using T-Rex Biomist which really helps hold the moisture in as well. It kind of builds up the more you use it.

You may want to just change the bedding etc.. and see if that helps with the bugs before exposing your tortoise to anything that can harm him. I was treating mites with the strips on some wild caught Chuckwallas, and used the strips as a precaution for everything in my collection to be safe. I then used them again to treat the little bugs that showed up on a few occasions.

Be careful, and feel free to ask if you have any other questions. You may also want to see if anyone else here posts about using these strips. I would hate to give any bad advice to you, especially if someone else has more experience with these strips around tortoises. The person that told me about using the strips runs a reptile shop and keeps a few in the store at all times.

-Kory

Thanks! I guess i'll just change my bedding first and see if that gets rid of the bugs. hopefully that will do the trick.
I am also going to try the fur mulch, because i can never get enough humidity anyway, so if that works better and isn't as welcoming to the bugs, i might as well try it!
I've never heard of t-rex biomist before. what is that? if it helps with humidity i might want to try it because i am spraying her tank around 3 or 4 times a day and it still never seems humid. i dont have it covered so i know that doesn't help.
Thanks so much for your help! I am new to owning a tortoise, so i'm always looking for good suggestions. i'm on the computer practically every day looking up stuff about redfoots and proper care and food, etc. So thanks for the advice!

Biomist is a spray that aids in shedding, hydration, and overall quality of skin condition in reptiles and amphibians. I first tried it to help my Rhino Iguana and Chuckwallas shed their leathery skin.

I tried spraying my Mtn Tortoise with it when he started showing signs of dry skin this winter. The product states on the bottle that it will help raise the level of humidity in a cage/terrarium, and it does so very well. I've noticed since using it that the air smells richer and heavier. It has also reduced the amount of mistings with water quite a bit as I stated before.

I also do not cover my tortoise's enclosure, at least all the way. He requires a fair amount of air flow. This product has helped me turn him around rather quickly!

Give it a try, it's worth the money.

-Kory