# small flies in my enclosure



## y4433264336 (Dec 4, 2011)

i found some small flies in my enclosure... 
whenever I mist the substrate, they pop up.
are they gona hurt my baby tortoise?? 
what should i do??


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## ascott (Dec 4, 2011)

They are likely the harmless soil bugs...they won't cause harm to your tortoise...they are just creepy to us


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## tinkerbell1189 (Dec 4, 2011)

I found those in mine too and wondered what they were, they pop up whenever i mist too :\


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## Baoh (Dec 5, 2011)

Beneficial nematodes knock their populations down when I apply them to the substrate. I also use praying mantis nymphs to help with the adults.


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## lynnedit (Dec 5, 2011)

I believe previous threads have referred to these as 'fungus gnats', they do fly and are annoying. (vs the 'phorrid flies' which just stay in the substrate). They feed on food residue, waste, and increase with a moist substrate,unfortunately. They are harmless to the torts.
A bioactive substrate can help control these, most of us don't have these set up.

Baoh, I have used the beneficial nematodes outside, because it is safe around pets and kids. What brand/source do you use?
And where do you get the praying mantis nymphs this time of year? Once they mature, what do you do?


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## y4433264336 (Dec 5, 2011)

can i use this?


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## Baoh (Dec 5, 2011)

lynnedit said:


> Baoh, I have used the beneficial nematodes outside, because it is safe around pets and kids. What brand/source do you use?
> And where do you get the praying mantis nymphs this time of year? Once they mature, what do you do?



I use a vendor on eBay. 

I hatch the nymphs from ootheca by adding them to the enclosures where the warmth accelerates development. Imagines can be released outside (depending upon the species) if the weather is hospitable, but I typically give them to my leopard geckos, horned frog, and other animals. Since I keep a horned frog in one particular enclosure, it tends to take care of this itself. He is not so much a pet as much as he is a culling device for unfit leopard gecko offspring. My Manouria occasionally eat the mantises, too.


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## lynnedit (Dec 6, 2011)

y4433264336 said:


> can i use this?



I am not sure. I have read on this forum that fly strips, etc., are not too effective. It sounds non toxic, but hard to say. Other posts indicate that the gnats are harmless but very hard to get rid of. Seems like the best idea is to deal with them at the soil level like Baoh suggests.
There is another thread that is active now with the same concerns. There are a few suggestions in it as well.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-COCO-COIR-SUBSTRATE-HELP#axzz1fljGguvw
I know they are harmless, but they sure are annoying.



Baoh said:


> lynnedit said:
> 
> 
> > Baoh, I have used the beneficial nematodes outside, because it is safe around pets and kids. What brand/source do you use?
> ...



Good idea. Sadly, I don't have any other creatures to complete the life cycle. But I could release them in the warmer months.
Are the nematodes geared toward specific pests (fungus gnats, etc.)? That is, is there a generic name for them so I can do a search?


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## GeoTerraTestudo (Dec 6, 2011)

That's why I stopped using soil as a substrate: it harbored fungi and fungal gnats. Now I just use 100% coco coir, and I no longer have any problems with "stowaway" organisms.


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## Melly-n-shorty (Dec 6, 2011)

I switched to bark and removed the moss and soil to get rid of them. it is working so far but its only been 2 weeks so it could just be hopeful thinking.


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