DavidAugustus62
New Member
Hi friends!
I am the proud caretaker and roommate of two red-footed tortoises (one a regular one, the other a cherry head). I bought them as "well started babies" in September 2020 from a well-known breeder, and have housed them for the last year or so in a Zoo Med Tortoise House. I use ReptiBark (or fir or cypress mulch) and some coconut fiber as a substrate, and have also introduced colonies of isopods and springtails to keep it clean.
The problem is that the fruit/phorid fly problem has become out of control because now they are not only swarming out of the substrate, but they have found their way to my kitchen. I put up fly paper, and it works, but they never go away. I have set traps with apple cider vinegar all around (even sometimes in the enclosure), but there they are. There are so many of them that I am embarrassed to have people come over for fear that when I pick the tortoises up to show them, the swarm will gross the guests out.
I have read the other posts on fly problems, but it seems I really have a bad situation because I live in an apartment.
I have tried changing the substrate, which winds up not getting rid of all of them;ven the isopods and springtails manage to survive. The flies must lay eggs on the wood.
I was thinking of putting Leonardo and Donatella (the cherry head) in a tank, and changing the substrate more often, but I don't know if that will work, either.
Any suggestions?
Thanks so much,
David
I am the proud caretaker and roommate of two red-footed tortoises (one a regular one, the other a cherry head). I bought them as "well started babies" in September 2020 from a well-known breeder, and have housed them for the last year or so in a Zoo Med Tortoise House. I use ReptiBark (or fir or cypress mulch) and some coconut fiber as a substrate, and have also introduced colonies of isopods and springtails to keep it clean.
The problem is that the fruit/phorid fly problem has become out of control because now they are not only swarming out of the substrate, but they have found their way to my kitchen. I put up fly paper, and it works, but they never go away. I have set traps with apple cider vinegar all around (even sometimes in the enclosure), but there they are. There are so many of them that I am embarrassed to have people come over for fear that when I pick the tortoises up to show them, the swarm will gross the guests out.
I have read the other posts on fly problems, but it seems I really have a bad situation because I live in an apartment.
I have tried changing the substrate, which winds up not getting rid of all of them;ven the isopods and springtails manage to survive. The flies must lay eggs on the wood.
I was thinking of putting Leonardo and Donatella (the cherry head) in a tank, and changing the substrate more often, but I don't know if that will work, either.
Any suggestions?
Thanks so much,
David