flies *updated - and now mites too*

[LisaLQ]

After ages of not having any at all, I've gone into the tanks yesterday and today to find that my baby margie and dimi tank has loads of tiny black flies in it. They flew out, and I squashed most of them (luuuurvely), but this has literally come on over the last day or so.

Now I know the best thing to use is chiffon, but I'm thinking these things must have come in on the moss, or food, and either way they're going to get reintroduced either when I change the moss or feed them. There's no plants in the room...erm...I've only got one in the whole house *lol*

Any suggestions as to how to get rid of the little gits permanently?

I dont want to put them back onto capillary matting.

[sezzy5889]

the only thing i can think of is to just keep the tank as clean as you can, they are probably fruit flies, or the smaller black ones, the smaller black one live in moss and soil, the tent to run around rather than fly, the fruit flies are attracted to the food and pooh in the tank and live and lay eggs in there, so i say microwave and moss or soil kept in the tank, and remove food and pooh daily

[LisaLQ]

Okies, didn't know if you could micro moss as it says on the main site that you shouldn't bake it - but to be honest, every time I wash it I use really hot water so what I'll do is pick up some new moss, micro it, and get rid of the old stuff.

[sezzy5889]

yeah or you can soak it in boiling water, but tbh i can't see any difference

[LisaLQ]

Thanks - shall get on with that tonight

[LisaLQ]

I forgot to ask - are these any danger to the snails? Or just an annoying pest?

[sezzy5889]

erm depends how often you clean the tanks out, obviously if it's left for too long or food and pooh is left for too long then you will get maggots and mites which in large numbers will irritate the snails
but as far as i know the flies don't pose any threat, i too get these in my tanks

[anjieburdett]

I've got them too grrrrrr I haven't had them for ages!! Annoying little gits

Anjie,x.

[LisaLQ]

I take old food out daily, but I have been feeding them directly on the moss, but shall start using dishes/plates again. The whole tanks get cleaned once a week - moss rinsed off or replaced.

Anjie, if you work out how to get rid of them, let me know, and I'll do the same *lol*

[Paul]

The only sure-fire way to get rid, is to bin all the substrate or sterilise it, and start again with chiffon to stop them getting into the tank again. I tried other things but all they did was limit the flies, they come back time and time again.

[sezzy5889]

yes and even when i get rid of them out of my tanks they still hang around the house, it's so annoying, does anyone know were to get fly paper?

[anjieburdett]

My mum had them in her snails a while ago, she got rid of them by leaving a dish of ummm whats-that-stuff-called, ummm wine vinegar or fruit vinegar or something on top of the tank, the flies love it and they drown, she keeps a tea towel over the top of the tank now to conserve warmth and that seems to keep them out. I haven't got any of that wine vinegar stuff though - keep meaning to steal some of hers but forgot!

Anjie,x.

[section8angel]

I deffo reccomend the chiffon. *Touchwood* I haven't had any in the tanks since I put that on. One flew in the other day -after- I'd opened the lid (and soon got squished) lol but none have been in there living etc.

Just do as said, a good clean out and keep an eye on them.

Sarah, you can get sticky fly paper stuff that you twist out of the tube and then hang up. Lots of places sell them round here, from cheap shops to garden centers.

[sezzy5889]

grr, i can't find any :-(

[section8angel]

search.ebay.co.uk/search/search.dll?sofocus=so&sbrftog=1&from=R10&sbrbin=t&satitle=fly+paper&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&fsop=3%26fsoo%3D1&floc=1&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D1&sascs=2&sacur=3&so=Show+Items

Obviously some are really cheap and nasty, but others aren't. I'll try and find out what the ones are I used last were. They were really good.

[Val]

Where do you get the chiffon?? Ebay??

Val

[section8angel]

search.stores.ebay.co.uk/FAVOURITE-FABRICS_chiffon_W0QQfciZQ2d1QQfclZ4QQfsnZFAVOURITEQ20FABRICSQQfsooZ1QQfsopZ3QQsaselZ176126884QQsofpZ0

That's where I got mine. There are others on there though. I think that place was the cheapest when I looked.

[eric2]

you can get fly paper from wilkinsons

[LisaLQ]

I dont believe this. I just got Gary out, and he had these minute, nearly invisible to the naked eye, things crawling on him. Absolutely gutted - what do I do?

Back on bloody capillary I bet, right? *sob*

[LisaLQ]

Right, this is what I'm going to do. Take everything out of all the tanks just to be safe (they're nect to each other - side by side - touching), bleach the tanks, pour loads of boiling water on them, get capillary matting for them all. Wash it every day, wash snails every day.

I'm so upset though - I dont know how they got here, as they weren't here even yesterday as I check them all the time to make sure. I dunno whether they came in on the moss (although I doubt it as I've been washing and reusing it - and had none yet, the only new moss is in with the big margies - who I'll check later). Only other incoming has been Magenta. And I'm sitting Nigel (Magenta's bro) at the moment.

Aaah well. Only real problem is that my snails rasped the old capillary matting. And I dunno how Gary, Sally and the margies will do on capillary, whereas my fulicas and Monty the retic were ok on it.

I also had a problem with it going foisty, and then mouldy - but I guess if I have to wash it every day with hot water, then that shouldn't be a problem.

B*ggeration. Why now? Flies and mites all in the last couple of days? *sobs more*

[Stacey]

I had a similar problem with capillary matting aswell.
Not sure what you house your snails in, but if its a tank that you can add any extra ventilation too id definately try that
I have a large plastic storage box i use and at first I only drilled holes in the top of it, but then found out its better to drill a couple in the sides too for air circulation.
i dont know if im making any sense...lol,,,i know what i mean in my own head, not that it helps anyone reading this!
Anyway in short.......extra ventilation could help :-D

[Paul]

They'll have come from outside, it only takes a bit of heat to get flies hatching and they nip in your tank when your not looking or through the holes. Probably the same with the mites, some travel on air currents or on us and get into the tank. I know it is annoying but it's not your fault they have appeared.

[Paul]

A lot of pests and bacteria do well in carbon-dioxide rich air, so increasing ventilation would help.

[section8angel]

Could the crawlies be baby flies not something different?

I had things on the matting so it isn't to do with the substrate all the time. Maybe you could try them on a bare tank for a few days instead. Or bare floor with some moss?
(Oops, just remembered I have your matting lol. I know you said you cut some, is it enough?)

Is strange, the matting hasn't gone mouldy with me (The stuff I bought anyway, but they're the same things so shouldn't make a diff) I've had that fun tunnel thing stain it pink lol but no mould.

*Remembers ventilation for next time*

Goodluck Lisa. I hope you're lucky like I was and only have to wash the tanks once. I washed the snails a few times to be sure (plus they enjoyed it) lol but the tanks only needed it once.

*Mumbles on*

[sezzy5889]

couldn't the mites be young of the flies?