SirWilliamj
Member
I heard you can use a dishsoap and water mixture and spray on the plants.. but i'm not sure if that's healthy for a chameleon. I have little black flies all over my house from the potted plants.
Anyone know a way to control or eliminate the little flies that hatch from potted plants?
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bobbydigital
Avid Member
I believe they are soil gnats. I've had them before in my veilds enclosure. They go in the soil when it's moist and lay their eggs. I put play sand on top of the soil and that prevented it from happening again. I'm sure there is better remedies, since putting sand on top of the soil is not best for the plant. In my panther enclosure I left the plants without sand and I think I'm getting the problem again.
JuliusSon
New Member
I have killed so many plant trying to treat them. I have takin them outside and sprayed the roots and let them dry. Some plant lived and some did not. I put rocks with my plants and have done the pepper remedies, dawn dish soap and keeping soil out side in a bag at Phoenix temp in summer time. All of these will reduce gnats, what my fam calls them, but they always come back. I have to stay on top of this daily. My daughter and I high five when we have killed the enemy.
KingGoodman
Member
You can make a bug trap. Really easy. https://www.pestwiki.com/homemade-traps-gnats-fruit-flies/
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
Just make sure not to use the insecticidal soap if you’re bioactive or free range your feeders, or just don’t use it at all
DGray
Avid Member
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.
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.
KingGoodman
Member
With respect DGray, the question was how to control them, not eliminate them. I’ve found traps to be pretty effective. I don’t believe it’s possible to truly eliminate them but I have never heard of that interesting bacterial product.
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
With all respect to you, don’t you think if someone was having problems with them, that they’d want them gone completely?
Thehippie
Chameleon Enthusiast
I agree, soil soak with what @DGray suggested would be the most beneficial killing adults and larvae alike, don't take my word since ive never encountered this problem but DGray seems to know what their talking about. also worked in a green house over the summer, I've heard of the bacteria before and it works so I hope everything goes well for u and u get rid of your soil flies soon
Brodybreaux25
Chameleon Enthusiast
Get out of my head! Took the words out of my mouth! Lol
absolutbill
Chameleon Enthusiast
Thanks for this - I'm going to order some now, since I have the same issue!
KingGoodman
Member
If I can simply water plants with this stuff, it sounds like a great option, no doubt.
Jordanworks479
Established Member
You can use butter worts bill strand speak highly of them,I personally use predatory mites,I used them once a while back and now there in all my plants even If I use new soil or not.
Brodybreaux25
Chameleon Enthusiast
Just be careful if you have young or small chams, they can get caught too!
ERKleRose
Chameleon Enthusiast
Does this work on bioactive vivs- will it kill my clean up crew?
There are some beneficial nematodes that will kill fungus gnats in the soil. Amazon and some gardening companies will send them to you. Rehydrate them and drench the soil. Sticky yellow traps can get some of the flying adults or even more satisfying use carnivorous plants near your cages..
Syreptyon
Chameleon Enthusiast
I second the use of carnivorous plants for snaring any stray, pesky bugs! Since our cham rooms are typically pretty humid, they often do well as long as they receive enough light to thrive. I keep a carnivorous bog garden in a half-whiskey barrel on my back porch in Minnesota and even I have pretty good luck with them (when it's not the cold half of the year).
I find Pinguicula (butterworts) and Drosera (tropical sundew) species to be the best, most efficient gnat/fruit fly catchers. I see people try and use venus flytraps sometimes, but in my experience the tiny flying insects we want to get rid of are too light to trigger the VFTs prey response. Also my VFTs usually don't last too long tbh
OldChamKeeper
Chameleon Enthusiast
Use something more natural.
House geckos, or day geckos. Small species like that will chase the flies.If you cage is suitable for a chameleon, it will keep these small geckos alive too.
I like the sand idea too. It won't hurt the plants as long as there is soil under it
House geckos, or day geckos. Small species like that will chase the flies.If you cage is suitable for a chameleon, it will keep these small geckos alive too.
I like the sand idea too. It won't hurt the plants as long as there is soil under it
CamrynTheCham22
Avid Member
I used some white wine, but the method didn't attract all of those little buggers. They are so irritating, flying around everywhere like they own the room, which my cham CLEARLY already owns I would love to try some of those carnivorous plants. Where can I buy some? I tried the venus fly traps, but the environment where I live is way too dry for those, even in a 90% sealed container. What carnivorous plant species had the most success in catching them?
Another issue I face with the venus fly traps is that the gnats are often much too lightweight to trigger the sense hairs. Is there another plant I can use that is less of a trigger response and more of a static trap?
I would love to try some of those carnivorous plants. Where can I buy some? I tried the venus fly traps, but the environment where I live is way too dry for those, even in a 90% sealed container. What carnivorous plant species had the most success in catching them?Another issue I face with the venus fly traps is that the gnats are often much too lightweight to trigger the sense hairs. Is there another plant I can use that is less of a trigger response and more of a static trap?
