Bugs in enclosure?

Pure Tortoise Power · Mar 7, 2019

Hey all. So recently I've noticed that there are a few little winged bugs around the walls of the enclosure. They have stripes similar to bumblebees, four wings, and they are the size of an ant. I don't know if these critters are harmful to my sully. I know a lot of bugs like to eat the remains of other creatures' food, or their manure. But I'm afraid these are mosquito babies, cuz they love moisture, but I don't see any worm like bugs (the mosquito babies) in the water dish. So I'm not sure, any advice would be of great help.
Thanks in advance.

PS I can't take pics of them cuz my phone's camera sucks...

ascott · Mar 7, 2019

Pure Tortoise Power said:
Hey all. So recently I've noticed that there are a few little winged bugs around the walls of the enclosure. They have stripes similar to bumblebees, four wings, and they are the size of an ant. I don't know if these critters are harmful to my sully. I know a lot of bugs like to eat the remains of other creatures' food, or their manure. But I'm afraid these are mosquito babies, cuz they love moisture, but I don't see any worm like bugs (the mosquito babies) in the water dish. So I'm not sure, any advice would be of great help.
Thanks in advance.

PS I can't take pics of them cuz my phone's camera sucks...

Wow, I would do some searches on your Google to see what common insects have the characteristics for the ones in Hong Kong...

Pure Tortoise Power · Mar 7, 2019

ascott said:
Wow, I would do some searches on your Google to see what common insects have the characteristics for the ones in Hong Kong...

So according to my research, they look like fruit flies or mayflies. Do fruit flies have a taste on veggies? If not, then I think it would be mayflies

Pure Tortoise Power · Mar 7, 2019

The shape of the bugs doesn't look like mosquitoes or wasps, looks like ant alates but too small to be them. Not roaches either. So yeah, perhaps they're flies

ascott · Mar 7, 2019

Pure Tortoise Power said:
So according to my research, they look like fruit flies or mayflies. Do fruit flies have a taste on veggies? If not, then I think it would be mayflies

So if you believe they are fruit flies then perhaps use a natural form of removal....?

Pure Tortoise Power · Mar 8, 2019

ascott said:
So if you believe they are fruit flies then perhaps use a natural form of removal....?

Natural form of removal? Like putting a spider inside...?

Kells Bells · Mar 8, 2019

http://www.agriculture.gov.au/pests-diseases-weeds/plant/fruit-flies when you say they are stripy like bees could they be this?

Pure Tortoise Power · Mar 8, 2019

Kells Bells said:
http://www.agriculture.gov.au/pests-diseases-weeds/plant/fruit-flies when you say they are stripy like bees could they be this?

Similar, but I'm not sure if they're exactly this species, according to the site they're exotic?

Kells Bells · Mar 8, 2019

Pure Tortoise Power said:
Similar, but I'm not sure if they're exactly this species, according to the site they're exotic?

If you're living in Hong Kong that's exotic to me

Maro2Bear · Mar 8, 2019

Seems pretty normal for fruit flies to be active and feeding on any fruits and veggies in your torts enclosure. Thats pretty much what fruit flies do. Fly about, find decaying fruit/vegg, eat, find a mate and mate, lay eggs, 21 days or less, hstch, and start again. They have a short reproductive lifespan.

https://www.orkin.com/flies/fruit-fly/life-span-of-fruit-fly

Life Cycle Fruit Fly
The fruit fly's life cycle begins when the female lays her eggs on a piece of fermenting fruit or other decaying, sweet organic material. She can lay up to 500 eggs, making it difficult to control the population. After eggs hatch into small, white larvae, they eat from their nesting site for four days, absorbing the nutrients and energy needed to transform into adults.

Larvae then locate dark, dry places for pupation. During this stage, the legless larvae grow six legs and a pair of wings before emerging as adults. Full pupation takes approximately four days. During this time, the faint outline of the transforming fly is visible through the pupa case. Following pupation, adult fruit flies are ready to mate in about two days.

Pure Tortoise Power · Mar 8, 2019

Maro2Bear said:
Seems pretty normal for fruit flies to be active and feeding on any fruits and veggies in your torts enclosure. Thats pretty much what fruit flies do. Fly about, find decaying fruit/vegg, eat, find a mate and mate, lay eggs, 21 days or less, hstch, and start again. They have a short reproductive lifespan.

https://www.orkin.com/flies/fruit-fly/life-span-of-fruit-fly

Life Cycle Fruit Fly
The fruit fly's life cycle begins when the female lays her eggs on a piece of fermenting fruit or other decaying, sweet organic material. She can lay up to 500 eggs, making it difficult to control the population. After eggs hatch into small, white larvae, they eat from their nesting site for four days, absorbing the nutrients and energy needed to transform into adults.

Larvae then locate dark, dry places for pupation. During this stage, the legless larvae grow six legs and a pair of wings before emerging as adults. Full pupation takes approximately four days. During this time, the faint outline of the transforming fly is visible through the pupa case. Following pupation, adult fruit flies are ready to mate in about two days.

That's some good info, but one more question, could they harm my tort?

Maro2Bear · Mar 8, 2019

Pure Tortoise Power said:
That's some good info, but one more question, could they harm my tort?

No, not really. They are really pretty normal. Is your enclosure outside? If yes, almost impossible to control.

Pure Tortoise Power · Mar 8, 2019

Maro2Bear said:
No, not really. They are really pretty normal. Is your enclosure outside? If yes, almost impossible to control.

It's inside, my tort is only 4-5 month old. I'm afraid that the hide has been infested since its reluctant to go in there. What can I do to reduce, or possibly eliminate the flies? I'm paranoid that the flies may bring some harmful bacteria.

Pure Tortoise Power · Mar 8, 2019

So all the substrate has been replaced, enclosure has been wiped with tissue and the hide, water dish has been washed as well. Hopefully this can eliminate the flies

Kells Bells · Mar 9, 2019

Good luck. I have little bugs in my enclosure which I think are gnats. Some days I can't see them other days I see them crawling over the feeding slate. I baked and boiled my substrate but after a few weeks they came back

Relic · Mar 9, 2019

These things work wonders, just keep out of reach of torts. I lay mine on top of hide box, change every 4-5 weeks.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CSPNF44/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Pure Tortoise Power · Mar 9, 2019

Relic said:
These things work wonders, just keep out of reach of torts. I lay mine on top of hide box, change every 4-5 weeks.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CSPNF44/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

We have something similar for sale in Hong Kong. It's a "house" for roaches and there's a "treat" inside, and of course, the inside of the house is sticky

Gijoux · Mar 25, 2019

Relic said:
These things work wonders, just keep out of reach of torts. I lay mine on top of hide box, change every 4-5 weeks.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CSPNF44/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Thanks for this suggestion!

Scott350 · Mar 25, 2019

Hello, I had a small issue with what looked like gnats. I googled it and always brought up fruit flies. What I did was put apple cider vinegar in a small glass container. Cover the top with a plastic wrap and punch small holes in it. The gnats were gone in a couple of hours. I put the container by the enclosure not inside of it.

Bugs in enclosure?

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