Little gnats

[sarah w.]

there are like one or two tiny gnats flying in my tortoise cage, how can I avoid them? It's driving me crazy

 

[Tom]

These are "substrate flies". They are harmless detrivores that are attracted to the warm hospitable conditions provided by your tortoises enclosure.

I just ignore them. If you really want to get rid of them, you will need to boil, bake, or replace your substrate every two weeks or so.

 

[Pearly]

I have never had those until I started digging up plants from my garden and transplanting in the babies' nursery tank. Couple days after planting those plants I'd notice those tiny gnats but they wouldn't last. In a matter of less than a week they were all gone! I attribute that to my substrate "clean up crew". My substrate is bioactive with earthworms, pillbugs, little soil centipedes. I have even seen a tiny snail that must have come with one of the plants from the garden. I love the idea of having a little mini ecosystem in there. Things seem to be regulating themselves.