Bugs from poop.. :(

[SipeCsus]

Hello every1.. So i try an take my chamms plants out of its cage every 2 weeks.. I usually spray them with water nd spray the poop off.. Rescently ive notice that theirs been alot of natts or wut i think r natts at the base of the plants where most of the poop is at? Do any of u guys have this problem as well and how do u deal wit it? Its a hassel 2 take the plants out often plus that means i gotta handle my chamm alot more? I was thinking about getting a pooper scooper or simply putting some of my carnivorous plants in my enclosure? But r carnivorous plants safe for my chamm if she were 2 somehow get to it? I was thinking about putting a sundew plant to be more specific? Any advice is greatly appreciated..

 

[SipeCsus]

Any1 please?

 

[Lathis]

Holy text message spelling, Batman! We old folks have a hard time translating that stuff...

The gnats are more likely from the moist soil in the plant pots than from the droppings. The easiest way to get rid of them is to cover the soil really well. You can do a couple of things: use either about 1" of sand or cocofiber mat to cover the soil, then cover that with larger rocks to keep your chameleon out of it. Also make sure you don't have any standing water in the cage.

Gnats are annoying, so best of luck getting rid of them!

 

[SipeCsus]

Lol sorry its a hard habbit to break.. Theirs no standing water in my enclosure.. But really cocofibers and rocks? Seems legit but wont the cocofibers give the bugs a nesting ground? I tries wood chips b4 nd they got moldy nd really yucky?

 

[Psychobunny]

I think you are having a fungus gnat problem. They come from the soil of your plant.
A simple way to get rid of them is to put a layer of sand, about 1/2 or so over the surface of the soil.
I had a terrible problem with them, and havent used real plants since.
Potted plants also stink very badly after a few weeks of being wet all the time.
Maintainting potted plants in a chem cage is a major PITA to me, I dont bother with them anymore
Besides, when I did have them, I never even saw my chams climbing on them. They seemed to prefer the sturdier
bendy vines instead.

 

[Lathis]

Lol sorry its a hard habbit to break.. Theirs no standing water in my enclosure.. But really cocofibers and rocks? Seems legit but wont the cocofibers give the bugs a nesting ground? I tries wood chips b4 nd they got moldy nd really yucky?

Not loose fiber, but that matting that is used for hanging plants. It wont get moldy.

 

[SipeCsus]

Thanks for the feedback you guys.. I will definantly b going to homedepo and getting some supplies to fixx this problem.. Also all i have is live plants in my enclosure and my chamm loves them plus they look amazing.

 

[laurie]

I guess I will disagree about live plants. I don;t now and never plan to have a cage without live plants. That is from day one until they die. Live plants are what they have in nature so they are what each cham has in my home. I never have a nat problem. My plants are all raised off the floor for drainage. I cut PCV pipes to the height I need them and put a circle of 3 under each plant. I also mix sand into the dirt when I pot each plant, that helps with drainage.

My chams climb on plants, dowel rods, sticks and almost anything else in their cages.

 

[ojr5]

Any specific kind of sand needed to do all this?

 

[SipeCsus]

I have those bowls under the pots to catch the water and their is no standing water in the bowls.. I do mix a little bit of perlite into the soil to help with drainage.. But i do mist the bottom of the plants a little extra when i mist my chamms cage which probably moistens the poop now thinking about it.. The cocofiber and sand with rocks on top seems like a legit idea.. Ill let u guys knoe how that goes.. Thank u soo much every1..