Gnat problem

[BobbyJ]

Hi guys im having a major issue with little baby flies all over my enclosure .. My only guess is that they came in with the hibiscus plants I bought a few weeks ago .. I put a piece of fly tape in ( out of tortoise reach ) and there's literally 100 on there .. Is there anything else to do , I'm thinking of just tossing the plant because I can't have all these flies in my house ..

 

[christinaland128]

The fruit flies arrive when you've accidentally left some scraps of food in the enclosure. I know they're so pesty aren't they?! :$

I use this.... And when it runs out I fill it will apple vinegar. I works great! http://m.homedepot.com/p/Terro-Fruit-Fly-Trap-2500/203225201/

 

[BobbyJ]

The fruit flies arrive when you've accidentally left some scraps of food in the enclosure. I know they're so pesty aren't they?! :$

I use this.... And when it runs out I fill it will apple vinegar. I works great! http://m.homedepot.com/p/Terro-Fruit-Fly-Trap-2500/203225201/

Okay thank you I'll buy one of those and that's my fault because I have just been giving him food and leaving it there all day .. I'll start giving him a meal time

 

[pfara]

I'm pretty sure it's impossible to not have bugs when keeping tortoises. As annoying as they can be, I actually don't mind them. I ended up getting carnivorous plants to help out with controlling gnat populations during blooms. The yellow sticky pads help out, too. You can also use Gnatrol (BTI) when watering plants to control gnat larvae. And unless you can close the enclosure off, gnats can and will find their way everywhere in your house for the duration of your tortoise keeping life.

 

[christinaland128]

Okay thank you I'll buy one of those and that's my fault because I have just been giving him food and leaving it there all day .. I'll start giving him a meal time

Oh yeah that's the problem then. Remove any scraps after an hour. If you want to leave some weeds or greens out, those don't attract as much flies as fruit does.

 

[BobbyJ]

I just finished emptying the entire tank of the old soil and cypress on top .. Cleaned it with the hose outside .. I then heated the new soil and cypress mulch for about 40 min at 400 degrees in the oven . I closed off the top of the tank with foil and plastic wrap . Im planning on adding some Rollie pillow bugs tomorrow to keep any kind of gnat under control

 

[mikeylazer]

I just finished emptying the entire tank of the old soil and cypress on top .. Cleaned it with the hose outside .. I then heated the new soil and cypress mulch for about 40 min at 400 degrees in the oven . I closed off the top of the tank with foil and plastic wrap . Im planning on adding some Rollie pillow bugs tomorrow to keep any kind of gnat under control

Are the rollie poolies (what i called them as a kid) supposed to reduce gnats?... Never heard that but i beleive it.

 

[BobbyJ]

Are the rollie poolies (what i called them as a kid) supposed to reduce gnats?... Never heard that but i beleive it.

Well what I have read on other posts and online is that the rollie polies eat decaying matter ( left over food / plants) and will also eat the gnat Larvea

 

[Diane Searcy]

I'm pretty sure it's impossible to not have bugs when keeping tortoises. As annoying as they can be, I actually don't mind them. I ended up getting carnivorous plants to help out with controlling gnat populations during blooms. The yellow sticky pads help out, too. You can also use Gnatrol (BTI) when watering plants to control gnat larvae. And unless you can close the enclosure off, gnats can and will find their way everywhere in your house for the duration of your tortoise keeping life.

You put them in the enclosure? Will the tortoise not eat them or do you have to put them on some kind of shelve? I’m a new tortoise owner, my husband just rescued ours about a month ago. We are still leaning.