Gnats Driving Me Crazy!!

[dmarshall1991]

I have tons of little flying gnats in my tortoise enclosure and they are driving me absolutely insane! It's to the point where I can't even watch Netflix on my phone at night with the lights off because they are escaping the enclosures and gravitating to the light if my phone. How on earth do I control these things and make them goooooo away!?

 

[Yvonne G]

your substrate is too wet. You'll have to either start with new, or set this one out in the sun and spread it out to dry out.

 

[Carol S]

I put my bags or blocks of substrate in the freezer for a couple of days to free any bugs or bug eggs.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Substrate nats! They love wet, warm conditions (AKA, most tort tables) I had a bunch a while ago, but I read from @pfara that pillbugs are a great treatment! I scooped some up and and I had a to take a few tries to figure out to keep them alive, but they're doing great now.
Another key is to bump down how wet your dirt is.
Squeeze it and a water drips out, too wet.
Squeeze it and it holds shape but hardly any water, PERFECT!
Squeeze it and it just falls apart, too dry.

 

[the_newzie]

Substrate nats! They love wet, warm conditions (AKA, most tort tables) I had a bunch a while ago, but I read from @pfara that pillbugs are a great treatment! I scooped some up and and I had a to take a few tries to figure out to keep them alive, but they're doing great now.
Another key is to bump down how wet your dirt is.
Squeeze it and a water drips out, too wet.
Squeeze it and it holds shape but hardly any water, PERFECT!
Squeeze it and it just falls apart, too dry.

I'm starting to get the little buggers too Glad I read this so I can try the pillbug solution.
Out of curiosity, how did you manage to keep the pillbugs alive? (I'd like to minimize my casualties )

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

I'm starting to get the little buggers too Glad I read this so I can try the pillbug solution.
Out of curiosity, how did you manage to keep the pillbugs alive? (I'd like to minimize my casualties )

I don't see them out a lot, because they like congregating underneath dishes and rocks. They like it slightly moist, which isn't usually a problem, and sometimes I bury half a berry in the coir by their favorite spot, and when the lights go out, I can dig it u and they be chewing on it like crazy. It's weird

 

[Elohi]

Substrate nats! They love wet, warm conditions (AKA, most tort tables) I had a bunch a while ago, but I read from @pfara that pillbugs are a great treatment! I scooped some up and and I had a to take a few tries to figure out to keep them alive, but they're doing great now.
Another key is to bump down how wet your dirt is.
Squeeze it and a water drips out, too wet.
Squeeze it and it holds shape but hardly any water, PERFECT!
Squeeze it and it just falls apart, too dry.

Yep, the rollie pollie pill bugs will take care of the gnats. I think they eat the larvae or something because I had a massive problem in my boxie enclosure until I put the pollies in.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Yep, the rollie pollie pill bugs will take care of the gnats. I think they eat the larvae or something because I had a massive problem in my boxie enclosure until I put the pollies in.

I'm not sure WHAT they do, but they do a great job

 

[Elohi]

I'm starting to get the little buggers too Glad I read this so I can try the pillbug solution.
Out of curiosity, how did you manage to keep the pillbugs alive? (I'd like to minimize my casualties )

They breed REALLY quickly.

 

[dmarshall1991]

Awesome thank you all!! I'm going to have to find out where I can purchase a bunch of pill bugs!

 

[Len B]

Terro has a product that traps them, It looks like an apple and you just pour the liquid inside the apple and set it near where they are congregating I am using them for the first time this year, and they are working fine so far.

 

[Iochroma]

Also, you can use the harmless bacteria Bt-i, which is found in Mosquito Dunks, and Mosquito Bits from Summit. Make a solution and pour or mist it over plant pots and substrates. We do this all the time in the nursery trade.

 

[Momof4]

I remember putting apple cider vinegar, a few drop of dish soap and a bit of water in a cup. Cover it with plastic wrap and poke holes with a toothpick. They are attracted to the vinegar. Sometimes I didn't even put the plastic wrap on. You could put a few cups in your room. Good luck!

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Awesome thank you all!! I'm going to have to find out where I can purchase a bunch of pill bugs!

I got mine from outdoors! Can you? It'd be free

 

[Yvonne G]

Might be hard to find them this time of year, but look under the wood pile or old stacked wood...under rocks, etc.