Shell Parasite

Question
I have a three inch long three-toed box turtle that my dad and I rescued from the wild (normally we don't take turtles but if we hadn't moved it we would have killed it with our tractor).
Today I tried to take Seymore (the turtle) out of his cage (we keep him indoors) and I noticed he had little bugs crawling on him. I'm not sure if this is because of a health problem or a bedding choice. Or if maybe he caught this from one of our aquatic turtles or bearded dragons, and whether or not it will spread to them. The bugs seem to be triangular in shape and very small. I bathed the turtle in my bathtub and it seemed to make him just as happy as normal, and the bugs came off his shell, I think. They disappeared at least. Is there something I can get from the store or something to kill the bugs without harming my turtle, or an alternative method for helping the situation?

Answer
If you don't see any more bugs, call it good. If they return, you can get mite and parasite treatments for reptiles at most good pet shops.

As for the rescue, I applaud your good heart. There are a couple things you should know for the next time...

1. In most states that have them, it is illegal to collect or keep wild box turtles since they are usually threatened or endangered, and in many of those states it is illegal to release captives, even wild-caught captives, because they then carry disease and parasites to the wild populations. I have no idea where you are, but if you are curious, you can find at least some of the state laws at the State Resources section of http://www.austinsturtlepage.com

2. With most wild animals, and especially with turtles, it is best to rescue them by moving them to a safe location near where they are. Once you take them in, the stresses of capture causes lots of problems like parasite blooms, etc. Another concern is that any illness or parasites the box turtle has can easily affect your other animals.

Good luck!