fungas gnats

[sidewindersnake]

no idea how i have them as i have been careful to wash and use new soil for every plant but iv checked the soil in all my pots now and everyone has eggs what would be the best way to combat/kill them off

im seriously contemplating taking cuttings and starting over but them my guy would be with plastic plants while the cutting take root so im trying to avoid this (not willing to buy more store bought plants not worth the risk)

so anything safe and effective ?

 

[Beman]

Unfortunately these come with the soil unless you bake soil. Which smells awful. They go through a cycle in my experience. You deal with them at first then they start to die off.

 

[sidewindersnake]

Unfortunately these come with the soil unless you bake soil. Which smells awful. They go through a cycle in my experience. You deal with them at first then they start to die off.

Hopefully mine die off soon then since I have quite a few blocks now after worrying about my can walking the ground then finding out is was bad has anyone used coco fiber in pots and mixed in worm castings or other organic fertiliser it also has the added advantage of holding water really well too so would cut back watering just an idea but not sure if possible obviously still covering top of pots with stones

 

[bruce the cham]

i had them for the first 3 months and now never see them

 

[Flick boy]

Hi what about mosquito bits ( it's a biocide ) which I've never used I must state. When I had an issue before with gnats I have some sundew plants in the room mainly drosera ( not in the enclosure)

 

[MissSkittles]

I have them come and go (depending on something that I haven’t yet figured out). Try to let your soil dry out a bit if possible between watering. I use 2 katchy’s and have a couple of drosera capensis sundews, which help keep it under some control. Hatching a mantis ooth or putting lots of baby mantids in your enclosure will help kill of some off and give your cham some rare treats.

 

[sidewindersnake]

Hi what about mosquito bits ( it's a biocide ) which I've never used I must state. When I had an issue before with gnats I have some sundew plants in the room mainly drosera ( not in the enclosure)

That's actually an awesome idea since i have thick mesh on the top of my cage they can easily get out so maybe a few carnivorous plants on top of my cage would do wonders! thanks for the idea.

 

[jamest0o0]

Drosera capensis solved my infestation of soil gnats within days in my Cham room(half dozen bioactive enclosures and free ranges). Had to wear a mask or you’d breath them in… no other method worked. All the flies went to the plants(they grew a lot that week haha).

All that said, some species of gnats aren’t as attracted to the sundew(nepenthes help too). So it could be hit or miss. I’ve heard the katchy works pretty well.

It does seem to be a cyclical thing with soil, but sometimes can get worse than you’re willing to put up with.

 

[Beman]

Hopefully mine die off soon then since I have quite a few blocks now after worrying about my can walking the ground then finding out is was bad has anyone used coco fiber in pots and mixed in worm castings or other organic fertiliser it also has the added advantage of holding water really well too so would cut back watering just an idea but not sure if possible obviously still covering top of pots with stones

Eh cocofiber can hold moisture. I put about an inch of the clay balls in the bottom of my pots and used organic soil then I have an inch of river stones sitting on top to keep Beman out of the dirt. But I have tried multiple ways and I always get them but I refuse to bake the soil.

 

[TheCuriousChameleon]

When my house plant collection get these gnats, I allow my soil to really really dry out, about to where you see leaves starting to droop...then water with 50/50 peroxide and water....another method used (that I wouldn't recommend, while in the enclosure) is isopropyl alcohol. Spray the surface soil, and plant down, maybe once a day. Allow soil to dry wayyy out. You can usually tell by lifting the pot, it should be super super light.

You could also remove the plants for a day or two, and leave those sticky traps that are yellow to sit in your pot on the surface of the soil (they come in the shapes of butterflies I believe) this will catch the adults, and emerging larva....but it takes a long time, and has to be repeated. The gnats are attracted to the color, as it resembles dying foliage.


Bottom line, they LOVE moisture...if your in a more humid state, they are harder to get rid of. The key is DRYNESS. if your having an issue with misting and a fogger keep8ng the soil moist, try using clay or terracotta pots they dry out super fast. You can also try a more arid soil, usually sold for aroid plants (my fav.)

If the plant in question is pothos, and your worried about removing it to restart its roots...you shouldn't have to...just "chop & prop" by cutting the sections to desired length then shove directly into the soil and wait, under the warm lights from the enclosure it will root within a week...u can shove the stem all the way to the bottom of the pot if your worried of the cham pulling the vines out...

 

[Lindasjackson]

I get them in my orchids. My orchids grow in aerated pots with bark as the growing medium and if I water them too often I start seeing fungus gnats. I use the sticky things in the pots to catch the flys but I seem to always see a gnat or two flying around.. Never Never use the sticky things in your Cham cage though!!!

 

[IanGlo]

We use mosquito bits or dunks to keep them out of our house plants. It's supposed to be safe for wildlife and pets. It contains some kind of bacteria that kills the larvae. It also kills fungus gnats (white flies).
You can sprinkle them onto the soil and it works when you water or mix it in with your water.
https://www.amazon.com/Summit-116-12-Quick-Mosquito-8-Ounce/dp/B0001LE1VC/

 

[absolutbill]

I've used 2 solutions with pretty good results. First, I buy ABG mix (Atlanta Botanical Gardens), and mix that with my potting soil in my plants. It helps to drain the soil, so not as many gnats grow. Secondly, I bought a Katchy on Amazon, and set it up in my chameleon room. It does an amazing job of attracting and capturing the ones that escape. Sometimes, when I have an excess of them I'll wait until my chams are fully asleep and then open their cages doors and shut the door to the chameleon room that that they are in for about 15 minutes. Then I go back and open the reptile room door, and close their doors for the night to help get any that are "stuck" in the cage, not escaping. They are a pain, but they can be defeated!