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flies
Nov 18, 2005 15:30:14 GMT
Post by eric2 on Nov 18, 2005 15:30:14 GMT
i have a serious fly problem. Every time i open some of my tanks they have two diffrent flies in is there any way to get rid of them? I have changed the substrate twice this week but that hasnt worked
eric
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flies
Nov 18, 2005 15:50:57 GMT
Post by sezzy5889 on Nov 18, 2005 15:50:57 GMT
I get these too, they are fruit flies and another type i don't know, i get three different types, one is all black, one is black with a orange abdomen (fruit fly) and one it black with orange and black stripy abdomen. They don't do any harm to the snails, but do lay eggs on any ripe fruit and veg, thats what attracts them and the larvae makes it go mushy, so be sure to change the food daily. I know they are extremely annoying but it's unlikely once you've got them that you'll get rid of them, you could minimise them by using fly tape in the room.
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flies
Nov 18, 2005 15:53:37 GMT
Post by Paul on Nov 18, 2005 15:53:37 GMT
I've had fly problems, once they get established it's hard to get rid of them. There are probably hiding in your room and re-infect your tank after you change over.
I set up a trap that works. Get a tall glass and put something in like apple. If you have one, put a sticky fly trap over the top but allow a way in. Then put a 2 litre pop bottle over the top, with a small cut-out right at the bottom for an entrance. You'll find the flies get in but struggle to get out. And it should keep them away from your tank.
The other thing, I am gonna do very soon as a matter of course is to make a mosquito net screen for over the top of my tanks. Shouldn't be too costly and it'll keep your tanks clear of any flies. Prevention is the best cure as they say.
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apple
Archachatina degneri
Posts: 1,078
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flies
Nov 18, 2005 16:02:01 GMT
Post by apple on Nov 18, 2005 16:02:01 GMT
I´ll buy a very thin net that avoids the flies going in, it´s cheap.
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Arno
Archachatina puylaerti
Posts: 1,493
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flies
Nov 18, 2005 17:06:30 GMT
Post by Arno on Nov 18, 2005 17:06:30 GMT
That net sounds good,but what if you need to get into the tank and have to lift the net?
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flies
Nov 18, 2005 17:25:53 GMT
Post by Paul on Nov 18, 2005 17:25:53 GMT
Well, there isn't much you can do, but you would spot them at least. I think the danger is most of the time when you aren't there. I'm gonna create a lid, like box lid that sits over my tanks, so it is easy to get in and out. As long as it is convenient I think it is worth doing.
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flies
Nov 18, 2005 19:35:33 GMT
Post by section8angel on Nov 18, 2005 19:35:33 GMT
I have net on mine, I stuck it to the lid so it comes off when the lid does. It's deffo worth it. I've just bought some more as they've now realised they can get into the other tanks lol (The mesh on the new tanks was bought in a hurry and the holes weren't small enough to stop them getting in) I haven't had any in my original tanks (the proper tanks not the storage tubs) since I covered them with mesh the first time the flies got in there. I remove the food and poop asap, but they're still going in the ones without fine mesh. I know mine are something to do with my plants as that's where they came from (I've seen them in the soil and seen eggs) but I've changed the soil and bought little sticky traps that you can put in the soil but they're still there. I can't use a killer either because of all my tanks (fish as well as the snails) From what Sarah said though the ones I'm getting aren't fruit flies, dunno what they are but they're annoying lol I'll have to look up flies that love plants now But as long as they're not in my tanks I'm not really bothered. They only annoy me out of the tanks as they like light lol so they get on my monitor and tv If you can put mesh over the lid Eric then do it. Get some with the smallest holes possible (I think the first stuff I used was muslin). And try the trap Paul said, and maybe buy those long sticky traps and hang them right above/by your tanks. *Stops mumbling now* :X
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flies
Nov 18, 2005 19:40:04 GMT
Post by Paul on Nov 18, 2005 19:40:04 GMT
The ones from your plants are almost certainly fungus gnats.
The only other type I have seen is fruit flies. You can tell these because of the large red eyes.
Apparently the yellow fly paper only attract male ones but it's still worth using them as a trap.
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flies
Nov 18, 2005 19:47:10 GMT
Post by section8angel on Nov 18, 2005 19:47:10 GMT
Would those gnats be harmful to the snails? *Researches now lol* They land on them and walk all over them but I didn't notice any difference in the snails the first time I had them and it took me a while to sort the mesh out so I would have thought they'd had time to do harm.
The ones I have are all black (I think), really small (like 3-4 mm - Haven't got a measure on me though so can't be sure lol) and %£*&ing annoying! lol They move slow but are so hard to clap and squish.
My mesh arrived this morning from ebay, so if it works like the other lot did I'll be very happy lol
- Have just done a quick search on the gnats and the pics don't look like the things I get, but I've never had a close look. I will try and "catch" one and see. Have also just read that they eat the plants, these don't otherwise mine would have noticeable problems the amount of time I've had these things.
Eric do you want the link for the mesh I bought, or will you be able to get some easily if that's what you decide to do?
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flies
Nov 18, 2005 20:09:37 GMT
Post by section8angel on Nov 18, 2005 20:09:37 GMT
Ok sorry for taking over your thread Eric, but maybe these pics are of the flies you have too? lol I just took these. On the sticky bit and up close with camera flash they look -totally- different to when they are flying around! If they are fungus gnats then why are they not eating my plants? It's very possible it's them like you said Paul as I do end up either over or underwatering my plants half the time and they appear in over watered ones but none of my plants look "eaten" And from these pics they do now look like them lol. But again, wouldn't I notice them eating the plants as I've had them for so long?
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flies
Nov 18, 2005 20:13:07 GMT
Post by sezzy5889 on Nov 18, 2005 20:13:07 GMT
I get those flies too
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Arno
Archachatina puylaerti
Posts: 1,493
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flies
Nov 18, 2005 20:18:15 GMT
Post by Arno on Nov 18, 2005 20:18:15 GMT
Yes I do too,sometimes they are so lazy I can throw them out with the food lol
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flies
Nov 18, 2005 20:20:32 GMT
Post by sezzy5889 on Nov 18, 2005 20:20:32 GMT
I get these really annoying balck ones too that live in the soil but they won't fly they just jump and run /:-|
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flies
Nov 18, 2005 20:32:01 GMT
Post by Paul on Nov 18, 2005 20:32:01 GMT
They don't eat the plants, I think the larvae infest the soil and will eat the root, that's how I understand it. The ones on the left have the shape of fruit flies, I can't tell if the eyes are red though: Also it is worth checking out phorid flies and Sciarid flies.
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flies
Nov 18, 2005 20:34:51 GMT
Post by Paul on Nov 18, 2005 20:34:51 GMT
I get these really annoying balck ones too that live in the soil but they won't fly they just jump and run /:-| They could be thrips or wingless fruit flies. Also, gnats seem to do that. It is worth mentioning that most flies when they break out of the pupae can't fly straight away until their wing cases are hardened. So, early hatchers often jump around.
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flies
Nov 18, 2005 20:43:26 GMT
Post by section8angel on Nov 18, 2005 20:43:26 GMT
The sites I searched said they get into the soil when it's wet and they eat the plants while the babies damage the roots. Those 4 pics are of the same flies, they both look exactly the same from the top view, just one was stretched out more lol.
I've just looked closely at the sticky bit with the torch, and there's another 2 flies on the back, but they're different lol. They are all black, smaller, and have one of those funny long bits as their mouths. Or from their mouths whatever it is lol.
The ones I've posted pics of, the eyes don't look "red red" like in the pic you posted, they're more the browny red of the head. Maybe they don't get that red until they are older? How big do they get though as the only flies I've seen bigger than these annoying things in this room were normal house flies.
So.. are the pics I posted fruit flies, and the other ones on the back of the sticky are the fungus gnats? GRRRRR
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flies
Nov 18, 2005 20:50:12 GMT
Post by Paul on Nov 18, 2005 20:50:12 GMT
If they have a visible proboscis then they're not fruit flies, they sounds like they could be thrips, phorid, scariad flies or some type of gnat.
Fruit flies are very small, a few mm long, it's hard to spot the detail, you can just tell they have red eyes because most of the head looks brown-red.
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flies
Nov 18, 2005 20:58:36 GMT
Post by section8angel on Nov 18, 2005 20:58:36 GMT
Well I did say they looked totally different so I kinda gathered they weren't fruit flies too. lol Both things that I've found are very small, but the ones I posted the pics of look like the fruit fly pic. The wings are the same it's just the eyes aren't that red. They are slightly larger than the others. The others have the long bit, but the wings are clear and the body is all black. They do look like the pics of fungus gnats I found on google. So I probably have fruit flies and fungus gnats, but they all look the same when they're annoying me rofl It's annoying how different things look when they're not flying round you
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flies
Nov 30, 2005 0:19:26 GMT
Post by section8angel on Nov 30, 2005 0:19:26 GMT
Quick update after I stole the thread from Eric rofl. The mesh isn't working, so I'm buying some muslin. I had a brain freeze before and forgot I'd used muslin (or something like it) not mesh Hey I was being dive bombed by flies lol I'd had enough! *Waits to be called names by Arno for giving him the link to the wrong thing to buy* Rofl Did you get anything sorted for your tanks Eric?
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flies
Nov 30, 2005 1:28:47 GMT
Post by Paul on Nov 30, 2005 1:28:47 GMT
I've just bought some mosquito netting but the holes are too big. I have just found this website that sells netting designed for scottish midges and it is 345 holes/sq. inch. www.pointnorth.co.uk/newsletter.aspHowever, a quick count of mine is 17 holes vertically, 20 holes horizontally making 340 holes/sq. inch so it is supposedly small enough for midges. The flies couldn't fly through it but the smaller ones could walk through it, although I've not had it long enough to test it. I think I'll set a trap (glass with some apple in it or something) with some over the top to see if they can get inside it. If they can it would seem we need something that is around 500 holes/sq. inch. Worth mentioning for anyone looking for or emailing mesh sellers.
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flies
Nov 30, 2005 5:34:16 GMT
Post by Paul on Nov 30, 2005 5:34:16 GMT
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Nov 30, 2005 14:58:09 GMT
Post by dagger on Nov 30, 2005 14:58:09 GMT
I like the pink one with flowers...lol
i have a fly problem also, in my baby tank there are small white worm like larvae, i've got fly paper on top, which catches loads of small black flies.
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flies
Nov 30, 2005 16:13:04 GMT
Post by eric2 on Nov 30, 2005 16:13:04 GMT
the flies have just dissapeared from all my tanks
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flies
Nov 30, 2005 17:08:58 GMT
Post by section8angel on Nov 30, 2005 17:08:58 GMT
Lol lucky so and so. I don't know if it is deffo muslin that I used before, I just know there aren't any holes in it unless you really really stretch it.
Thanks for that link Paul, I'll have a look around and see what else is about. Will probably get some of that though as it's water proof as well.
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flies
Dec 3, 2005 19:07:22 GMT
Post by section8angel on Dec 3, 2005 19:07:22 GMT
HUZZAH! My chiffon arrived this morning and I'm just about to get taping it to the lid ;D I'll probably leave the mesh underneath it as I'm too lazy to go taking it all off rofl. It shouldn't block anymore air getting in anyway should it?
I also bought some muslin to see which is best, but that isn't here yet.
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