Eradication of Gnats/Fruit Flies

CamrynTheCham22

Avid Member
I saw a thread about pesky gnats/fruit flies a couple weeks ago, and I just stumbled upon a few possible solutions to the problem that some of us have with our plants. I have one plant that is particularly bad, but I do not want to put chemicals on it for the protection of my cham, obviously.

I recently saw a method that involves a tea bag, water, and a spray bottle. I am not sure what kind of tea, or if any kind of tea is safe for chameleons, but basically you just spray the tea on the plant that has the bugs. The method didn't specifically say 'gnats' but I believe gnats fall under the category of pests.I don't see how this would work, but if anyone has tried it, do tell.

I also saw that gnats are attracted to vinegar and white wine. I tried the wine, but it didn't catch as many gnats as I would have hoped. Also, I saw that you can water your plants with a solution of water, baking soda, and dish detergent, but I am still not sure if this is safe for my cham.
Has anyone tried any of these methods (non-toxic) and found success?

I also saw someone post about carnivorous plants recently, and I wanted to inquire about where I could procure a carnivorous plant sensitive enough to catch those itty bitty gnats. Venus fly traps can't catch the gnats because their trigger hair aren't sensitive enough, but what are some other carnivorous species that are more trap-oriented?

Jeez these little flies are so annoying! My cham doesn't even bother trying to catch them anymore. Hopefully someone has come across a more effective eradication tactic.
 
To quote my own self:
"One can not eliminate fungus gnats (or shore flies) with soap, sand, nor traps. The larvae live deep in the soil. Adults often breed at the soil surface and never take flight. They can breed in the soil at the bottom of the pot, so sand is ineffective. Traps only monitor a tiny fraction of the whole population, the traps don't catch all the adults, but they are a useful tool in monitoring. Sticky traps could potentially be a danger to animals.
A soil drench with the proper strain of the bacterium B.t.i. will safely control them. "Mosquito Bits" from Summit is one example. (summitchemical.com) This product is certified organic.
One makes a solution by soaking a quarter of an 8 oz. bottle in a gallon of water for 15 min. and then thoroughly drenching the plant so water comes out all the holes. A treatment usually lasts for about 6 months."

And I would add: carnivorous plant are in the same category as traps.
 
Get a sundew(drosera capensis are cheap and easy), butterworts do a decent job as well. Keep on a sunny window in the same room where the fungus gnats are. Problem will be solved. I tried everything and nothing came close to these carnivorous plants.
 
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