Reptile & Amphibian Forums

while cleaning my russians indoor enclosure i noticed a bunch of tiny white bugs crawling around in the substrate. what are they ? are they a threat to my russians and if so how can i get rid of them? if it helps the substrate i use is coconut fibers/crushed coconut shell. thank you for reading.

Try posting this to the general tortoise forum. I'm not familiar with the problem and this sub-forum doesn't get much attention.

I can only guess without a photo. I imagine they are mites, a diverse group that often is found in damp environments. Many types, a few are blood sucking parasites but others not an obvious threat, feeding on decaying items, other mites etc. I take all substrates including coconut coire and leaf litter and put it in a plastic bag and let it sweat in the hot Sun and then several days in the freezer. All organic, wood products, leaf litter are suspect, so small stuff is micro-waved, and larger quantities sun baked/frozen. I probably overdo it, such is my nature... If your substrate is supporting mites, it might be a bit too damp...consider that, but I wouldn't be surprised also is some mite is adapted to even dry environments. Good luck, and investigate mite issues before taking drastic action, some folks use very toxic solutions..Vic H

thank you for the info. would it work if i froze the bricks before soaking?

YES! That is a good idea, freeze and/or microwave as appropriate anything you add and try not to get any unwanted introducitons. Although your tortoises may benefit from a humid hide/burrow, make sure the general set up is fairly dry...(don't keep them like box turtles). I was thinking about your query, maybe they are springtails? Look closely and find a bug site on the web, you should be able to narrow it down. I doubt if they are harming your tortoises, but maybe they are annoying if abundant enough. Getting rid of them is a big project, as they may have layed eggs in the cracks of wood, soil etc. Good luck, Vic