Flies... again

[EulersK]

Wow, that's a LOT of fungus gnats, never had that many, and they are in literally in every one of my humid enclosures...

How does peat moss get rid of phorid flies?

Don't quote me on this one, but apparently the peat moss makes it too acidic for them to reproduce. I've heard that the acidity is the cause, and also that it's a myth. Not sure which is true, but I can speak from experience when I say that phorid flies can't breed in it.

I use a 50/50 blend of peat moss and topsoil for only this reason. I would much prefer pure topsoil.

 

[Hisserdude]

Don't quote me on this one, but apparently the peat moss makes it too acidic for them to reproduce. I've heard that the acidity is the cause, and also that it's a myth. Not sure which is true, but I can speak from experience when I say that phorid flies can't breed in it.

I use a 50/50 blend of peat moss and topsoil for only this reason. I would much prefer pure topsoil.

Hmm, may have to try that then, if I can get my Rhabdoblatta culture up and running again, then I will probably use peat moss as their substrate! (For now though the colony is crashing, so if they all end up dying anyway then I don't want to have bought a bunch of peat moss for nothing lol).

 

[EulersK]

Just an update. I finally rehoused her, and she's been quarantined in a room with no flies until the rest of them die off in my T room. The other enclosures can dry out, but she can't. I gave her a very, very healthy dose of springtails and a few isopods. I'll add in more isopods when my population booms a bit, but hopefully this will prevent another outbreak. I don't mind a few flies, but that was ridiculous.

Question. Since I don't have any real organic matter in there, should I occasionally toss in a mushroom slice to maintain the springtail population? I put in some of the oak leaves, but that was more for the isopods as springtails don't seem to be interested in them.

(clicky)

 

[sdsnybny]

Toss in a few small pieces of charcoal, Not briquettes but REAL charcoal. Springtails love it. You can use the stuff for barbecue if you have it, or the stuff used in fish tank filters. Just rinse off all the dust and drop it in. Its what they love and I doubt the flies will eat it.