Holy Fruit Flies, Batman!!!

[odduc748]

Suddenly, my ficus tree in my female Panther cage has an infestation of fruit flies. I took the tree out of her cage and a small swarm of the nasty things was buzzing around the tree like the dirt cloud that follows Pigpen from Peanuts. (some of you may be too young for the Peanuts reference)

Anyway, what can I do to safely eliminate the fruit flies? It seems they may be damaging the tree because when I took it out of the cage, several leaves came off.

I now have the tree on the deck, outside.

Sonja loves her ficus tree and sleeps there, 3-4 nights a week. So, I'd like to get it back in her cage as soon as possible.

Thanks!

 

[deerharvester]

They're probably fungus gnats, and they are a pain. But, i put a layer of sand on top of my soil and underneath my pond stones. Use the pond stones so that they don't accidentally ingest any sand/soil.

Scott

 

[odduc748]

Thanks for your quick reply, Scott.

I'll try your method and hope it works.

John

 

[odduc748]

Can anyone provide tips on avoiding these and other nasty bugs?

This seems strange as I keep all my lizard enclosures clean. I pick up poop, every day, from my chameleon cages and remove as many roaming crickets as I can find (if any are left) at the end of each day.

I change paper towels on the floor every second or third day. I also clean the substrate trays with Wipe-Out, weekly.

So, am I missing something?

 

[distortionz]

With the fungus gnats it has nothing to do with how much you clean.. It's how moist you keep the plants.. If it's dry their eggs can't survive. When a plant is getting too much water it leaves the dead roots to decay and this is what the gnats feed on and are attracted to.

 

[odduc748]

With the fungus gnats it has nothing to do with how much you clean.. It's how most you keep the plants.. If it's dry their eggs can't survive. When a plant is getting too much water it leaves the dead roots to decay and this is what the gnats feed on and are attracted to.

Thanks for the explanation. This will help me understand how to keep them away. So, I'll keep the plants out of the enclosures for about a week and let them dry, thoroughly. I'm sure the chams will be fine without their trees for a short time. And, we will get rid of those nasty bugs.

Thanks to all for helping!

 

[nick barta]

You can buy yellow sticky cards that the flying gnats stick to. They are attracted to yellow. This will lesson the breeding herd.

CHEERS!

Nick

 

[ponders]

I have flushed the soil with soapy water (I used Dawn)I just mixed it up into a lather and poured it into the pot and then let it all soak thru until bubbles on surface are gone. Then you can put it back in the enclosure the same day.

 

[MsCham]

This isn't prevention - but it is the best way to get rid of a bunch! I had an infestation around my compost a while ago, and within two days they were gone!

Apple Cider Vinegar is your best friend!! Get some (really doesnt matter the brand - you just want the smell) and pour a generous amount in a cup (about halfway). Then get some dish soap (I use Dawn as well) and put a few drops in. Beat the crap out of it so that there are some bubbles around the edge of the cup! The stupid things will be attracted to the scent of the vinegar, but if they try to get some, they will be trapped by the soap and drown. You can leave this outside of your enclosure for up to a week before needing to change it out. (Just make sure there are bubbles - meaning there is enough soap - otherwise you are just feeding them! Only a few bubbles are needed!! If the entire thing is bubbles they will see it as a trap!)

Good luck!

 

[odduc748]

Thank you all for the great information, once again.

This forum consistently proves to be the most active reptile forum that I subscribe to.

Thanks!