Bugs??

[Chasethorn]

So I came home and the sun was hitting the water in my terrarium just right and I could hundreds of these pod looking thing. The were all on top of the water just kind of walking on the water. The looked like a tiny white isopod or rollie pollie ... I am disinfecting my terrarium and have them sitting in my window sill now. I sprayed them down in my sink to see if I could get them off the leaves... What are they? They didn't look like mealybugs or aphids.

Thank you for the help!!

 

[Nepenthesis]

Springtails. Look it up on Google Images and see if that is it.

 

[divaskid]

Can you take a picture?

 

[Chasethorn]

And I can't get a picture as I freaked out and cleaned everything haha They look like springtails! What can I do to make them go away?

 

[Nepenthesis]

They aren't bad, they just eat decay. They are used in vivariums to clean up waste. They're probably impossible to get rid of, but they need high humidity to live or they'll dry out.

 

[Chasethorn]

There were also some white little worm looking things!

 

[amphirion]

There were also some white little worm looking things!

fungus gnat larvae

 

[Cthulhu138]

The white worms may also be grindal worms. They're scavengers in terrariums, eating all kinds of decaying organic matter. Totally harmless unless in huge numbers.

 

[carbonetc]

If you're a vivarium builder you go out of your way to get springtails to colonize. They're excellent janitors.

 

[Chasethorn]

I just don't know and I don't want anything to spread to my leopard gecko haha. Can any plant parasite/bug/mite spread to a reptile?

 

[Chasethorn]

I guess what I am saying is there a type of mite that is an omnivore??

 

[richjam1986]

The things you're worried about are specialists. Springtails eat fungus,etc, and plant pests eat plants. You won't have any problem with soil and plant bugs trying to suck your reptiles blood. Just ain't gunna' happen. If you got another reptile or used reptile equiptment from another reptile owner, then you should be worried as they might be carrying the types of bugs you don't want for your reptile.

Also, one shouldn't automatically assume any bug you see is bad. As mentioned, they can perform some very important functions

 

[Chasethorn]

I am just use to bad bugs

 

[Wire Man]

If the little white worms are indeed grindal worms you can culture them and sell them to fish breeders. they make excellent food for small fish that only eat live food or fish fry.

I have springtails, too. They're actually really helpful, so I would keep them around.

 

[richjam1986]

I am just use to bad bugs

Completely understandable One obviously does need to be carefull about bugs.