Continuous Issues with Bugs in Enclosure

[kugti]

I keep cleaning my substrate every 2 weeks because these nats or fruit flys (whatever they are) keep coming back. I clean out any uneaten food everyday when I replace it with fresh food so the food doesnt rot forever attracting them.

Any tips on keeping bugs out?

 

[DixieParadise]

What is your enclosure made of? Are you cleaning it as well as changing out the substrate? Could be some fruit juices or something that you can't see that the flies are still attracted to is stuck to the surface. Just a suggestion...no expert here. They might also be looking for a water source if it is your outdoor enclosure. I had that problem with ants yesterday. Had to clean everything out and move the Tortoise House to another location. It was 103 degrees and the ants were looking for water. They didn't get to my torts...but I didn't want to take any chances. We have fire ants here and them and torts don't mix.

 

[Fernando]

Maybe you can try feeding your torts outside of the enclosure (assuming it's an indoor enclosure)?

 

[Laura]

i have a potted plant on the kitchen counter.. actually grass.. and it has gnats.. they just are... not sure how to prevent them..

 

[68merc]

Are you replacing the substrate or just picking stuff out of it?
I had gnats because the cypress was so wet. I started taking all the cypress out and putting it in the freezer. I had 2 bags of cypress, 1 in the enclosure and 1 in the deep freez. After about a 2 months I have no more bugs.
At this point cleaning consists of taking everything out and mixing up the cypress with a gallon of water. Still no gnats.

 

[Madkins007]

Those are fungus gnats (they go by other names as well). They develop in damp substrates and feed on nearly microscopic stuff, like decaying matter- food wastes are not the issue.

They are completely harmless and 'clean', so there is no reason to get nasty about getting rid of them, still, they are unwelcome.

You can attack them several ways, as per this article- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungus_gnat, or you can use woodlice (sow bugs, pillbugs, rolly pollys, isopods) in a soil-based substrate.

Considering how cheap cypress is, though, the easiest way may be to just to get some new stuff and let a bag sit in the hot sun on black material for a few days to get it all nice and steamy hot or freeze it solid for a few days. Then, don't wet the substrate quite so much unless you are using a heating system to generate humidity.

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Here is a good article on fungus gnats- http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05584.html

 

[dmarcus]

I got them when I kept the substrate to wet and I had to completely clean out the enclosure. Removed the old stuff wiped out the entire enclosure and then replaced the substrate. Now i make sure to only keep the substrate moist and I haven't had a problem since..Good luck with what ever you try and I hope it works out for you..