black small flies with my crickets?

[Brokaylacham]

Hey so I just bought my crickets for the week and I was going to feed him an extra one because I noticed one got away but anyways I noticed flies with the crickets? How did they get in there? Is it still safe for him to eat the crickets?

 

[kinyonga]

Do they walk with a jerky motion and are about the size of a fruit fly?

 

[Brokaylacham]

uhh yes. Are they bad?

 

[Andee]

Do they try to fly away when you touch them or mostly just run until you get close? If so throw out the crickets, and everything with them, clean the container really really well. Get a new supplier.

 

[kinyonga]

They're phorid flies...they can get into your fridge between the gaskets...fly into your food as you're trying to eat and IMHO spread germs around. They can destroy your chameleon eggs too. I hate them!

 

[Brokaylacham]

omg oh no! howd they get there?? how do I get rid of them? can I still feed him the crickets?

 

[kinyonga]

You can still use the crickets.

 

[Brokaylacham]

oh okay cool but howd they get in there

 

[kinyonga]

Cricket cages not kept clean where they were bred and raised.

 

[jamest0o0]

I always had trouble telling fungus gnats from phorrids.

 

[Andee]

Phorids in my opinion from what I've noticed are much larger and have very obvious behaviors... but then again I also researched the difference between parasitic phorid flies and non-parasitic. Most phorids that get into our insect enclosure are non-parasitic, but there are those few occasions where they are parasitic, and those are the ones who are truly a danger to all live insects, your reptiles, your eggs, they can be to you to if you have an open sore... absolutely amazing creatures <3

 

[kinyonga]

Phorid flies dart around and have a humped back....
https://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com/phorid-flies.htm

Fungus gnats...
https://www.planetnatural.com/pest-problem-solver/houseplant-pests/fungus-gnat-control/

 

[jamest0o0]

I've read a lot about them because I've been battling a huge bloom of them this summer(that I'm finally winning!) but for some reason in person I can't seem to tell the difference. I've found the larvae eating cham poop at least . Due to the massive numbers of flies(a few flew down my throat!!!) I'm thinking maybe phorrid... anyway, whatever Sorry to stray from your post @Brokaylacham

Btw @Andee uhhhhh next you'll be raising parasitic phorrids eh?

 

[Andee]

Naw parasitic phorids aren't worth the headache... sadly I do have a strange love of parasitic insects... parasitic trees too, just because they are so amazingly specialized and do such a good job and what they need to do <3

 

[Brokaylacham]

Wait what, so they're bad? I buy the crickets every week so I don't breed them.

 

[Brokaylacham]

Do they try to fly away when you touch them or mostly just run until you get close? If so throw out the crickets, and everything with them, clean the container really really well. Get a new supplier.

I haven't touched them but they don't crawl I don't think.

 

[Andee]

They aren't good if they are Phorids... but unless they are a parasitic type they are just an amazing spreader of diseases and germs... The only way you can tell if they are parasitic is if there are maggots eating live insects etc.

 

[Brokaylacham]

what the heck.. I didn't understand that but I think ill just throw them out

 

[GregJD]

I get little gnats in my keeper, and occasionally I see 1 on Gary's cage. I've never worried about it because I live by a hay field. I actually don't let a lot of things bother me because of my living location. Location is a big factor. If you live somewhere that is odd, get a new supplier. I order mine from georgiacrickets.com. They'll ship them anywhere, they're a Premium Crickets franchise. Check out the sponsor's list on this site. You may find a better one that's closer. I just like those guys.

I've never had a problem feeding the crickets to my lizards after finding them in there. If you clean out the keeper after you're done, the problem may stop. But some flies are small enough to get through the screens and then you may need to get a carnivorous plant or something.

Just take where you live into consideration and maybe figure out ways to catch them. I wouldn't throw the crickets out, but I also wouldn't buy them weekly, I'd order them online.

 

[Andee]

I don't know why what I said couldn't be understood... I thought I was rather clear...