GNATS (may be the death of me)

[turtlebean]

Hi everyone, me again!

So, sad to say my substrate has become swarmed with gnats, RIP. My substrate is a mix of mostly coco coir with a little cyrprus mulch on top. I keep it pretty moist so that the top layer is somewhat dry to the touch but once it gets ruffled there is a layer of moist coco underneath. Usually the humidity is anywhere from 40ish%-60ish%, depending on how often I moisten it and how humid of a day it is (CT weather is bipolar).

I haven't changed the substrate since I first got my tortoise, end of February if I can remember correctly. It stayed gnat free up until about when I tried to grow the seed mixes in my enclosure, a month ago maybe (idk everyday blended together during quarantine). The seed mixes were doing so well in their planters, I figured they would do just as well in the enclosure! I noticed the weeds were growing to about 3ish inches, then dying off. After they died completely, I took whatever reminisce I could see and removed it from the enclosure. But I did notice after that, the gnats have been getting progressively worse. Maybe its just coincidental timing, and the substrate was months old at that point, or maybe it was the plants that died?

When the plants were growing (dying) in my enclosure, I saw a a couple flying around and now they are EVERYWHERE. To the point where they have started encroaching on the rest of the living space upstairs, where I keep my enclosure. I get it, the gnats are just trying to hang but its become kind of a nuisance... especially when Tortillini and I are spending quality time eating dinner together and the gnats keep third wheeling.

I read a couple different things online talking about gnat traps, and how to catch them, but I read that only catches the adults. So if there are babies and eggs already planted in the substrate, the traps won't get rid of them right? I figured the only way I could get rid of them completely is to change my substrate out, which I'm totally okay with. Do you guys have any other or better advice for me about how to stay gnat free? Any advice at all would be appreciated, I don't want to have to throw my whole house away because of a gnat problem, Tortillini really likes it here!

Thanks again guys,
-Julia R (hopefully still alive if the gnats haven't gotten to me yet)

 

[method89]

I use these. They work great. They get most of them within a day or 2. Then the gnat population goes back to an "acceptable" level.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JL8L79Q/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

 

[method89]

Sprinkle some diatomaceous earth on the substrate. It is tort safe.That will help get the newly hatched gnats. I got no remedy for the eggs

 

[Banditboxer]

Hi everyone, me again!

So, sad to say my substrate has become swarmed with gnats, RIP. My substrate is a mix of mostly coco coir with a little cyrprus mulch on top. I keep it pretty moist so that the top layer is somewhat dry to the touch but once it gets ruffled there is a layer of moist coco underneath. Usually the humidity is anywhere from 40ish%-60ish%, depending on how often I moisten it and how humid of a day it is (CT weather is bipolar).

I haven't changed the substrate since I first got my tortoise, end of February if I can remember correctly. It stayed gnat free up until about when I tried to grow the seed mixes in my enclosure, a month ago maybe (idk everyday blended together during quarantine). The seed mixes were doing so well in their planters, I figured they would do just as well in the enclosure! I noticed the weeds were growing to about 3ish inches, then dying off. After they died completely, I took whatever reminisce I could see and removed it from the enclosure. But I did notice after that, the gnats have been getting progressively worse. Maybe its just coincidental timing, and the substrate was months old at that point, or maybe it was the plants that died?

When the plants were growing (dying) in my enclosure, I saw a a couple flying around and now they are EVERYWHERE. To the point where they have started encroaching on the rest of the living space upstairs, where I keep my enclosure. I get it, the gnats are just trying to hang but its become kind of a nuisance... especially when Tortillini and I are spending quality time eating dinner together and the gnats keep third wheeling.

I read a couple different things online talking about gnat traps, and how to catch them, but I read that only catches the adults. So if there are babies and eggs already planted in the substrate, the traps won't get rid of them right? I figured the only way I could get rid of them completely is to change my substrate out, which I'm totally okay with. Do you guys have any other or better advice for me about how to stay gnat free? Any advice at all would be appreciated, I don't want to have to throw my whole house away because of a gnat problem, Tortillini really likes it here!

Thanks again guys,
-Julia R (hopefully still alive if the gnats haven't gotten to me yet)

I live in CT too and Have the same problem. When I had gnats in the past, I used turkey roasting pans and baked the substrate at 350 for 15 min. It worked great and I didn’t have to throw out substrate. I also use Raid sticks that hang near enclosures. I got them at Walmart. They are attracted to the sticky foil and can’t get off!

 

[ZenHerper]

If your coir is persistently too wet, it will decay rapidly. Fungus gnats love the result as a breeding ground.

To produce a rapid gnat die-off, dry your substrate completely.

It may be easier to Start Over with fresh bedding, since what you have now is no doubt full of larvae and eggs...if you need a lot of moisture, use a layer of bark on the bottom as a drainage buffer, then coir, then bark as a walking surface.

You may want to Sun Solarize your ingredients beforehand to insure you are not culturing a fresh batch. How to do that here (under Management - Water and Soil Management):

Fungus Gnats Management Guidelines--UC IPM

UC home and landscape guidelines for control of Fungus Gnats.

ipm.ucanr.edu

 

[turtlebean]

I live in CT too and Have the same problem. When I had gnats in the past, I used turkey roasting pans and baked the substrate at 350 for 15 min. It worked great and I didn’t have to throw out substrate. I also use Raid sticks that hang near enclosures. I got them at Walmart. They are attracted to the sticky foil and can’t get off!

I’ll have to grab some raid sticks that sounds like a good idea!!

 

[turtlebean]

If your coir is persistently too wet, it will decay rapidly. Fungus gnats love the result as a breeding ground.

To produce a rapid gnat die-off, dry your substrate completely.

It may be easier to Start Over with fresh bedding, since what you have now is no doubt full of larvae and eggs...if you need a lot of moisture, use a layer of bark on the bottom as a drainage buffer, then coir, then bark as a walking surface.

You may want to Sun Solarize your ingredients beforehand to insure you are not culturing a fresh batch. How to do that here (under Management - Water and Soil Management):

Fungus Gnats Management Guidelines--UC IPM

UC home and landscape guidelines for control of Fungus Gnats.

ipm.ucanr.edu

Thank you for this info, I appreciate it!