Little flies?

[Easter Bunny]

I had that problem once but after changing the soil completely I fortunately haven't had it since.
Nuisance them little flies

Do you wash their weeds/plants before you put them in the table?

[Matt__uk]

Yeah we do, all washed before it goes in.

[shaz]

I've ad same problem. Done soil change but back within few weeks. I've now got fly papers hanging and its catching them

[Taszia]

I hate to suggest it but I have had the tort life from Pets at home and it always has flies appear but have had other brands and top soil and had no issues so makes me wonder now if its just the pets at home one or not ?

[pagan queen]

I had these little buggers all last winter. Spent the whole time walking around clapping to catch them, looked like a right nutter. The thing is, I don't use topsoil and my torts are in the conservatory in vivs. Mine came from house plants. The little maggots live off dead plant matter and once you have a few they just keep reproducing. If you have house plants you need to change the soil and wash the roots as well as changing the soil in the tables.

This year we have a plague of stick moths. I brought all my geraniums in from the garden and they must have had the moths on them at some stage of development. Now whenever I open the conservatory door three hundred moths fly into the living room. I spend all day chasing moths around to put them outside. We have such fun in our house.

[shelmarie]

I got an electric fly killer from eBay for about £7 and it works amazing x

[shaz]

Originally Posted by shelmarie

I got an electric fly killer from eBay for about £7 and it works amazing x

Have u got a link to the one you got please ???????

[pagan queen]

Originally Posted by shelmarie

I got an electric fly killer from eBay for about £7 and it works amazing x

Is it like a tennis racket? I've got one of those but my dog is terrified of it. I only have to touch it and he starts shaking. I've got one of the ones with the blue light in too but it has never caught anything.

[Marcusanthony24]

Originally Posted by Pussygalore

I used tortoise life and still had the little flies, I assumed they came in with the weeds and food, possibly the plants I had growing in the table not in with the substrate. If top soil is the sterilised type then the sterilisation process should kill of any live bugs and eggs.

If you put potted plants in the enclosure, the flies lay their eggs in the soil in the drainage holes and in the top i have found as it remains damp. they really loved laying their eggs in the spider plant.

[pagan queen]

I have found out that these flies are called fungus gnats. They live off the top layer of soil, as it breaks down it grows a fungus hence the flies.