isopod colony with a gnat problem

[MallShoggoth]

I have a pretty well established (I think) Armadillidium gestroi colony, with some springtails for extra clean up help... And yet some kind of gnats have managed to turn the enclosure into their breeding box. I assume the enclosure I picked for this may have been too big in the first place, or I was watering it too much for this species, idk.

What I'm wondering is: is there any way I can get rid of this infestation without having to move the isopods to a different box and get rid of the substrate? I'm willing to do that but I'd like to explore other options first.

 

[Aquarimax]

They are likely fungus gnats. Some people swear by Mosquito Bits. They are not a chemical pesticide…they contain a strain of bacteria that specifically targets both mosquito larvae and fungus gnat larvae. You can soak a few of the mosquito bits in water, and then use that water to moisten your moss in the enclosure (avoid pouring it on isopods directly). I am ambivalent about using Mosquito Bits myself…as I have only done limited testing, but I know people have had success with it so far.

I am currently testing the use of a rove beetle, Dalotia coriaria, which is a predator of fungus gnats. I learned about this biocontrol method from Kyle Kandillian of www.roach crossing.com. It seems to be making a positive difference, and despite the fact that many online sources say Dalotia coriaria are springtail predators, I have noticed ZERO impact on my springtail populations. Kyle says the same thing about the rove beetles…no harm to his springtails. They haven’t eliminated the gnats completely, but they have certainly seemed to reduce them significantly.

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[MallShoggoth]

They are likely fungus gnats. Some people swear by Mosquito Bits. They are not a chemical pesticide…they contain a strain of bacteria that specifically targets both mosquito larvae and fungus gnat larvae. You can soak a few of the mosquito bits in water, and then use that water to moisten your moss in the enclosure (avoid pouring it on isopods directly). I am ambivalent about using Mosquito Bits myself…as I have only done limited testing, but I know people have had success with it so far.

I am currently testing the use of a rove beetle, Dalotia coriaria, which is a predator of fungus gnats. I learned about this biocontrol method from Kyle Kandillian of www.roach crossing.com. It seems to be making a positive difference, and despite the fact that many online sources say Dalotia coriaria are springtail predators, I have noticed ZERO impact on my springtail populations. Kyle says the same thing about the rove beetles…no harm to his springtails. They haven’t eliminated the gnats completely, but they have certainly seemed to reduce them significantly.

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that's really interesting, thanks!