Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2015 3:01:06 GMT
Hi,
I have a massive fruit fly problem. It started one day when some pumpkin insides were going to be thrown away so I put it in the snail tank for food. It was only in the tank a few days but it started to rot so fast! When I went in the snail tank to remove it, a large group of fruit flies flew out. Now that the pumpkin is gone, they don't have anywhere to live so their in the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, basement, dinning room, etc. It's driving me insane! I was eating a burger yesterday and 5 of them literally landed on my burger.. while I was eating it! I tried hiding but they found me, I'm not even joking, I am super annoyed.
Could I use them as a protein source for my snails?
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Post by Liguus on Jul 3, 2015 4:29:49 GMT
I suppose your snails could get protein from eating them, but since fruit flies are so small it likely would not be significant. I myself think I'm going to try a fruit fly trap on top of my terrariums to see if it works. I usually have to do a deep clean when fruit flies start living with my snails though.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2015 4:53:40 GMT
A trap sound like a good idea since they are EVERYWHERE!
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Post by sparrow on Jul 3, 2015 14:29:07 GMT
Are they fruit flies or fungus gnats? Either way, it may be wiser to change out the tank completely, since there may be eggs laid in the soil. Although traps may catch the adults, any eggs or larvae in the soil will start the cycle all over again.
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floralswan
Archachatina marginata
My baby snails are getting big!!
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Post by floralswan on Jul 3, 2015 14:46:54 GMT
I have the same problem but I cleaned and replaced everything in the tank TWICE! And they are STILL here.. My snails are getting annoyed at the tiny pet and I think I might go insane......
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2015 18:23:26 GMT
Are they fruit flies or fungus gnats? Either way, it may be wiser to change out the tank completely, since there may be eggs laid in the soil. Although traps may catch the adults, any eggs or larvae in the soil will start the cycle all over again. Believe it or not, I got rid of the fungus gnats by relocating my tank. It was upstairs and I moved it downstairs and now there aren't any fungus gnats at all. I'm sure these are fruit flies and I can't change the dirt because there are other small organisms that live in it that have been breaking down all the rotting food. I've had this dirt for months and its actually more like a mini compost bin now.
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Post by sparrow on Jul 4, 2015 13:33:38 GMT
Are they fruit flies or fungus gnats? Either way, it may be wiser to change out the tank completely, since there may be eggs laid in the soil. Although traps may catch the adults, any eggs or larvae in the soil will start the cycle all over again. Believe it or not, I got rid of the fungus gnats by relocating my tank. It was upstairs and I moved it downstairs and now there aren't any fungus gnats at all. I'm sure these are fruit flies and I can't change the dirt because there are other small organisms that live in it that have been breaking down all the rotting food. I've had this dirt for months and its actually more like a mini compost bin now. That's what I'm always afraid of too. I hate changing out the soil because of the good organisms. I keep nylon mesh over the tops of all my plant terrariums and snail terrarium. This keeps small pests out and if there is a problem in one tank, it keeps them contained until I discover or fix it. Out of curiosity, what was the difference in the two locations - upstairs/downstairs - humidity, heat, sunlight, etc..., that ridded you of the flies? Always looking for solutions to pest problems, so if they crop up can be dealt with quickly and with the least harm.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2015 19:16:49 GMT
Thank you. Ill look into that and see if it works.
Well, upstairs had very little sun light because my snails don't like too much. The temperature upstairs was moderate, not too hot and not too cold. Upstairs also has very dry air and the tank was really the only thing that had the most moisture in it which made it perfect for the gnats eggs and larva to live.
Downstairs has a lot more sunlight and the temperature is not always stable. The tank is next to a window now with more sunlight but the snails can hide under their sticks so it doesn't bother them as much. Downstairs has a lot more moisture in the air. I also learned that turning the dirt helps. When I see that it starts to flatten, I mix it up and this is about every 2 weeks or so.
That's really all that I did differently and I think it helped a lot.
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Cashell
Archachatina puylaerti
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Post by Cashell on Jul 4, 2015 22:00:26 GMT
I often have problems with fruit flies too, but thankfully they haven't been too bad this year.
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floralswan
Archachatina marginata
My baby snails are getting big!!
Posts: 16
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Post by floralswan on Jul 5, 2015 5:24:51 GMT
I still think I might go insane with the pests....AHH ONE IS ON MY TABLET!!!PLZ HELP..
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Post by sparrow on Jul 5, 2015 13:41:36 GMT
Thank you. Ill look into that and see if it works. Well, upstairs had very little sun light because my snails don't like too much. The temperature upstairs was moderate, not too hot and not too cold. Upstairs also has very dry air and the tank was really the only thing that had the most moisture in it which made it perfect for the gnats eggs and larva to live. Downstairs has a lot more sunlight and the temperature is not always stable. The tank is next to a window now with more sunlight but the snails can hide under their sticks so it doesn't bother them as much. Downstairs has a lot more moisture in the air. I also learned that turning the dirt helps. When I see that it starts to flatten, I mix it up and this is about every 2 weeks or so. That's really all that I did differently and I think it helped a lot. Here's a link to an image that shows how I have the nylon stretch mesh slipped over the terrarium lid: eagles-sparrow-net.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/8/6/10862460/3256246_orig.jpg - this is tubular stretch mesh that is used in hobbies for making flowers, etc... The tank lid is actually custom made. I measure the inside lip of the terrarium and have nylon screens made that are a tight fit that sits snug on top of the terrarium lip. The edges are smoother than a regular terrarium lid and the stretch nylon mesh is a tight fit over the top of the screening. I tie off the ends to make the screen taunt and if it gets a "runner" a dab of nail polish stops it. I'm in a flat and have plants and terrariums in every room. I've swapped out most of the soil in my plants for a Bonsai potting mix that drains much more quickly than regular potting soil ( www.bonsaiofbrooklyn.com/products/supplies/soil.html - Some of the ingredients: www.bonsaiofbrooklyn.com/products/supplies/soilstuff.html ) . I can't use the bonsai mix In the snail's terrarium and mix top soil, coir and a finer sterilized potting soil for the bottom of the snail tank. I also turn the soil every time I clean the food out and replace with fresh. Thank heavens, I don't have a problem in the snail tank, but rather in some of the older bonsai pots that are glazed on the outside and retain almost constant moisture. I'm using Gnatrol and Safer's yellow sticky stakes in those pots, but none of these can be used in a snail's tank. Went a little off topic here, but because there are a mix of terrariums and open plants in the flat, (60+ at this point), it's a major and slow process getting every pot cleaned out. As I clean one, if a single gnat escapes and finds its way to another pot, the cycle starts all over again. In all the years I've been raising bonsai and keeping houseplants, this is the first year I've ever had a problem.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2015 12:03:07 GMT
You will not believe the amount of fruit flies in my house! I think there is over 150 of them.. EVERYWHERE!
Anyways, I found out that they like vinegar so I got some tape and put vinegar around it. Some got stuck, some didn't. The tape probably has to be really strong because some broke loose by wiggling off the tape.
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Post by etana on Jul 6, 2015 13:00:03 GMT
Try to put a bit of vinegar and dishwashing soap to the bottom of a glass and leave it near your tank.
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Post by alethesnail on Jul 6, 2015 14:24:04 GMT
I seem to get them in my tank around this time of year and usually change the substrate when it gets too bad since I'm not sure of the risk the fruit fly's pose to my snails. Once I saw two of them bothering my biggest snail, I felt really bad because he seemed to be reacting negatively to them touching him but he actually managed to kill one of them, it landed on the side of his face and he turned and crushed it into his own body. Doubt it was on purpose but amusing to see regardless.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2015 19:48:35 GMT
Yeah, I'm going to make some traps. I'll keep you guys updated.
None of my snails have been very active because every time they come out of their shell, they get attacked by fruit flies.
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Post by sparrow on Jul 7, 2015 13:58:15 GMT
Try to put a bit of vinegar and dishwashing soap to the bottom of a glass and leave it near your tank. If memory serves me correctly, I think it's specifically apple-cider vinegar that attracts them - not plain vinegar.
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Post by etana on Jul 7, 2015 18:06:26 GMT
Try to put a bit of vinegar and dishwashing soap to the bottom of a glass and leave it near your tank. If memory serves me correctly, I think it's specifically apple-cider vinegar that attracts them - not plain vinegar. That probably works better, yes. Other things that work (more or less conveniently) are cider, wine, fruit juices, and I even heard of someone who unintentionally killed a lot of fruit flies by leaving a glass of water on her desk. That's merely anecdotal though, lol.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2015 4:36:46 GMT
Yes, sorry. When I said vinegar, I did mean apple cider vinegar. It's disgusting the amount of fruit flies that come out and crawl all over the bottle.
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Post by Jade on Jul 10, 2015 11:13:11 GMT
I would consider investing in some carnivorous plants, and placing them near the tank. Hopefully they will eat a lot of the little pests.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2015 17:42:25 GMT
Update: A family of friendly (I hope) spiders have come to rescue me from the fruit flies. The other day, I noticed a bunch of dead fruit flies on the top of my snail tank. I thought that was odd but never paid it no mind. Just yesterday, I saw some baby spiders on top of my snail tank catching and eating fruit flies. They haven't left yet and I'm actually quite terrified because I don't know if they will bit me or not. I'm happy though, haven't seen much fruit flies but still a lot. I'm really happy about this! The fruit flies shall torrent me not longer!
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Post by Evan on Jul 17, 2015 2:16:02 GMT
That's what happened to my poor banana slugs. Fruit flies laid eggs on them and the maggots ate them alive.
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Post by Evan on Jul 17, 2015 2:17:20 GMT
Update: A family of friendly (I hope) spiders have come to rescue me from the fruit flies. The other day, I noticed a bunch of dead fruit flies on the top of my snail tank. I thought that was odd but never paid it no mind. Just yesterday, I saw some baby spiders on top of my snail tank catching and eating fruit flies. They haven't left yet and I'm actually quite terrified because I don't know if they will bit me or not. I'm happy though, haven't seen much fruit flies but still a lot. I'm really happy about this! The fruit flies shall torrent me not longer! If they are just caching them, without a web, than they should be jumping spiders. Completely harmless!
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Post by snailboat on Jul 17, 2015 2:38:59 GMT
Try to put a bit of vinegar and dishwashing soap to the bottom of a glass and leave it near your tank. I'm doing this and it smells kind of awful. The snails don't seem to mind... Although I'm worried that they might not like it anyway. I can see it's caught at least five of them so far! :-)
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Post by Evan on Jul 17, 2015 2:49:03 GMT
Try to put a bit of vinegar and dishwashing soap to the bottom of a glass and leave it near your tank. I'm doing this and it smells kind of awful. The snails don't seem to mind... Although I'm worried that they might not like it anyway. I can see it's caught at least five of them so far! :-) Apple cider vinegar is more effective!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2015 3:15:46 GMT
Oh no! Your poor slugs! Yes, they are jumping spiders.
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