Fly eggs in potting soil?

[golf33]

Hi Guys,
After I put in new soil, after a couple of weeks there are a whole bunch of tiny little flies in the enclosure that definitely come from the soil. I have tried a couple different soils(organic, gardening, vegetable) but I end up with the same problem every time. Is there any kind of soil that I won't have this problem with? The flies are too small for the chameleon to eat so I am sure they pester him. Also, my chameleon has had a couple bouts of having a parasite, could this be from the soil? Even with the river rocks, I've seen him eat some soil through the gaps before...

 

[Jakedn]

Hi Guys,
After I put in new soil, after a couple of weeks there are a whole bunch of tiny little flies in the enclosure that definitely come from the soil. I have tried a couple different soils(organic, gardening, vegetable) but I end up with the same problem every time. Is there any kind of soil that I won't have this problem with? The flies are too small for the chameleon to eat so I am sure they pester him. Also, my chameleon has had a couple bouts of having a parasite, could this be from the soil? Even with the river rocks, I've seen him eat some soil through the gaps before...

Baking the soil should kill all the bugs and eggs in it.

 

[golf33]

Have you done this before? I have a lot of live plants so I'll have to do a few loads of soil. How long and what temp should I do it at?

 

[Jakedn]

Have you done this before? I have a lot of live plants so I'll have to do a few loads of soil. How long and what temp should I do it at?

I have never actually done it, I read about it briefly and it makes sense. I don't know the temps or how long it needs to be done. Somebody will probably chime in soon with the answers you need.

I personally put a few inches of sand over the soil, the bugs you are having a problem with cannot live in the sand, and other bugs cannot burrow in or out of it. You get the benefits of the bugs in the soil for the plants health, and the bugs never bother you or you chameleon.

 

[golf33]

That sounds like a good idea. Only thing I would worry about is the chameleon eating the sand and getting impacted. He is such a little stinker, like I said before, even if I put river rocks, he shoots his tongue between the cracks and eats the soil.

 

[golf33]

bump* anyone have any advice for ideas on the situation?

 

[dodolah]

Those flies are called Fungus gnats.
They thrive under a constantly moist soil.
You need to lift the pot off the ground, so the excess water from misting can flow outside of the pot.
Gnats attached their eggs to the root of the plants. When the larvae hatched, they caused the plants to slowly die.

Here is another alternative:
you can introduce a specific host predatory parasite called Steinernema Feltiae (available at organic nursery locally or via online).

Yes, it is indeed a parasitical nematode. Unlike pinworm, Feltiae is a beneficial parasite. They are microscopic. The worms will burrow inside of the gnats larvae and slowly starving the larvae to death.
And, the worms will NOT infect you, your dog, or your chameleons. They only attack specific hosts.
Also, as long as the gnats still there, the worm will keep multiplying.
They will keep attacking for 1 to 2 years. After that, you might need to reintroduce the worm again.
I have used them in my cage. So far, I have no gnats present in any of my chameleon cages. And, the chameleons are parasite free.

The drawbacks are:
They are quite expensive. But, one tiny package can be used for a whole backyard.
They are fragile. They do not last long. So, once you got them mailed, make sure you used them within couple of weeks.

PS: make sure you buy them from the organic nursery. The Feltiae is shipped in powder form that you need to mix with water later.
Some of the nursery, mixed the powder with chemical fertilizer as an added bonus. The worm is fine but the fertilizer is not.
If your cham love to ingest soil, you want to make sure he will not accidentally eat the chemical fertilizer.

The one I buy is from arbico organics. They put the worm in kaolin clay powder. They also do not add any additives to the powder.

 

[dmaizer]

i have the same , and thanks for the solution.

 

[DGray]

gnats, drat

I hate gnats. Fortunately, they don't harm, people, lizards, or for the most part, the plants. They are annoying, but fighting them may not be worth the costs of the effort.

You can use a biological control, as Dodolah pointed out in the excellent post above. In addition to the nematode, there is a bacterial control marketed under the name Gnatrol, that may give better results. Be aware that the biological methods are not likely to give complete and lasting results.

There are also organic insecticides such as Spinosad, used as a drench on the soil. I have good results with this.

And there are non-organic insecticide drenches like Bayer's Tree & Shrub, with the active ingredient Imidocoprid. This is the same thing that is in Advantage for dogs and cats. It is very complete in it's elimination of the gnats with just one treatment. Most of my customers use this.

An no, I don't know why gnats like computer screens.