Gnats…

[Rango_TheManEater]

I’m sure there are already many posts about this issue… but I’ve noticed that gnats (fruit flies) seemed to come out of nowhere and have become roommates with my Veiled.

Is there a simple way to solve this problem? Maybe a plant of sorts?

 

[MissSkittles]

Mosquito bits used as directed to the soil of your plants. Sundew plant (drosera capensis). Katchy or other device. Sticky pads outside the enclosure and well away from your animal. Hatch a mantis ooth in your enclosure. Don’t overwater the plants. Take your pick of interventions.

 

[jamest0o0]

Are they soil gnats or fruit flies? The way you get rid of them will depend on this.

 

[Rango_TheManEater]

Are they soil gnats or fruit flies? The way you get rid of them will depend on this.

Definitely fruit flies. I have some in other parts of my house… but I have no idea how they ended up in here.

 

[jamest0o0]

Just remove the food source, what are the flies landing on?

 

[Rango_TheManEater]

Just remove the food source, what are the flies landing on?

They seem to hover around the ceiling, specifically the lights. Occasionally they will move onto Rango’s branches. I think they may have come from another part of my home? I don’t leave food in my veiled’s cage for more than a day at a time. He usually eats it… but right now, he’s in shed

 

[ehdee6]

I highly recommend Mosquito bits/dunks. And Sundew plant (drosera capensis), they crushed the gnats.

I also made a DIY katchy thing (they're like $100 here for the real one) with a USB fan and LED light. They fly to the light and get sucked into a water dish, it gets like 20 in a day when it's bad.

I'm currently dealing with Thrips now, which is a complete nightmare!

I have a good thread on gnats with the DIY katchy, and a few other methods here:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/the-dreaded-gnats.194796/

 

[jamest0o0]

Fruit flies won’t be attracted to sundews. Fruit flies have the red eyes. Can’t speak for the other methods. Figured they were all suited more for soil gnats

 

[Lynn57]

I highly recommend Mosquito bits/dunks. And Sundew plant (drosera capensis), they crushed the gnats.

I also made a DIY katchy thing (they're like $100 here for the real one) with a USB fan and LED light. They fly to the light and get sucked into a water dish, it gets like 20 in a day when it's bad.

I'm currently dealing with Thrips now, which is a complete nightmare!

I have a good thread on gnats with the DIY katchy, and a few other methods here:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/the-dreaded-gnats.194796/

Gosh, thrips would be my worst nightmare! How are you dealing with them?

 

[IrohtheVeiled]

Someone here said swap substrate in planters out for ABG mix for soil

I’m trying that out for my own issue with them

(Also outside the cage if you have fruit flies, a little apple cider vinegar in an open container with a few drops of dish soap is a diy home trap that works perfectly)

 

[ehdee6]

Gosh, thrips would be my worst nightmare! How are you dealing with them?

I tossed out 1/2 my plant collection in hopes that will rid them and save the rest. Some are outside drenched in neem oil. I wasn't able to order biological bugs because of the postal strike.

 

[DocZ]

Fruit flies are finding a food source in your home. No food, no flies. I’ve hatched 1000s of fruit flies and if they don’t have food, they will die

 

[DocZ]

Vacuums are kind of fun for fruit flies too

 

[nightanole]

Fruit flies are finding a food source in your home. No food, no flies. I’ve hatched 1000s of fruit flies and if they don’t have food, they will die

So i will ask you the new age question. Do the adults live 24 hours, 2 weeks, or 40-50 days like the orkin man says?

But back on subject, at our house, they were living off the used wet tea leaves of all things. Removed that and they were gone in a few weeks. So i wonder if there is some dead veg in some of the plant pots they are living off of, not just rotting "fruit".

 

[DocZ]

So i will ask you the new age question. Do the adults live 24 hours, 2 weeks, or 40-50 days like the orkin man says?

But back on subject, at our house, they were living off the used wet tea leaves of all things. Removed that and they were gone in a few weeks. So i wonder if there is some dead veg in some of the plant pots they are living off of, not just rotting "fruit".

I’m not entirely certain. I started a new container from an established colony each week
A new container would not produce lots adult flies for about 2 weeks(ish), and would start to sort of taper off around 4-5 weeks
So I would use the 4 week old colonies to make the new colonies and feed from the rapidly expanding 2-3 week colonies. So I guess I had about 4 separate timelines starting, growing, feeding, and starting the new colony

40-50 days would be longer than I feel like they would produce great numbers without an additional new food source

If they can find it they will eat and reproduce whatever the food source is

 

[Ghostbirb]

I’m not sure if you have found a solution yet, but if they are fruit flys it gnat, I also have been fighting them. Currently my plants that I used to use for my chameleon are infected with gnats. I’ve been trying this vinegar, soap and sugar mixture in a bowl that draws them in and doesn’t allow them to escape (something to do with water tension?). It works ok so it could be worth a try. The other thing I’ve used is this bug light where there is a light and sticky pad and it worked wonders before the light died!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CS321RX...e=cm_sw_r_cso_cp_apan_dp_0BVGE9VBNAPGGRF0FQYY