Predators that cohabitate with millipedes/gnat solutions

Godzilla90fan

Arachnosquire
Joined
Sep 4, 2021
Messages
94
Have been expanding the terrariums for my American giants, and occasionally I'll notice a few gnats hovering about. They're an eyesore to an otherwise beautiful setup. I had considering putting Venus flytraps in as both decoration and pest control, but I feel they may eat my smaller millipedes.

Does anyone have a solution? I'd prefer a bio friendly way to handle them (such as a predator) but understand that most things that eat gnats probably would try to eat my millipedes. Thanks all.
 

Lordosteous

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 25, 2020
Messages
37
I assume what you have is Fungus Gnats. Green lacewings (Chrysoperla sp.) and Fungus gnat rove beetles (Dalotia coriaria) are both good options, neither will harm millipedes. Both can be bought online or at some gardening stores, or you can catch the lacewings pretty easily yourself. Hanging strips of fly paper is also a good option for really bad infestations, just make sure the paper is hanging so that no millipedes can crawl onto it and get stuck.
Also worth noting, fungus gnats are not harmful to terrariums or millipedes. Although not the prettiest thing to see, it is normal and inevitable for some to show up in enclosures.
Best of luck!
 

GardenDrag0n

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 12, 2021
Messages
6
My solution was perhaps overkill, but I bought a bunch of stick-on 2 micron filter patches and covered my ventilation holes with those. Keeps bugs in and out. Cheap and I wanted something that looked "neat" since most of my enclosures are display enclosures.

If you don't mind the look, sticky traps with or without UV lights will help cut down on stragglers.

Other critters that you can introduce that won't hurt the millipedes are a number of different springtail species. They will usually outcompete the fungus gnats without harming the millipedes when their populations stabilize.

As a side note I noticed a dramatic drop in gnat activity after my substrates matured.
 

Malum Argenteum

Arachnoknight
Joined
Dec 16, 2020
Messages
284
I've had good luck putting DIY vinegar traps nearby (take a bowl, add some apple cider vinegar -- I use the real stuff, but idk if it is necessary -- rinse and refill as needed). That coupled with attempting to keep them out of the viv by modifying the ventilation should be sufficient.
 

Godzilla90fan

Arachnosquire
Joined
Sep 4, 2021
Messages
94
I assume what you have is Fungus Gnats. Green lacewings (Chrysoperla sp.) and Fungus gnat rove beetles (Dalotia coriaria) are both good options, neither will harm millipedes. Both can be bought online or at some gardening stores, or you can catch the lacewings pretty easily yourself. Hanging strips of fly paper is also a good option for really bad infestations, just make sure the paper is hanging so that no millipedes can crawl onto it and get stuck.
Also worth noting, fungus gnats are not harmful to terrariums or millipedes. Although not the prettiest thing to see, it is normal and inevitable for some to show up in enclosures.
Best of luck!
Going to have to try the gnat beetles out. I have been experimenting with various beetles in 1 on 1 enclosures with my millipedes. So far the only bad experience was with the glowworm beetle, which I was aware predated on millipedes. It quickly ate one of my polydesmids
 

Godzilla90fan

Arachnosquire
Joined
Sep 4, 2021
Messages
94
My solution was perhaps overkill, but I bought a bunch of stick-on 2 micron filter patches and covered my ventilation holes with those. Keeps bugs in and out. Cheap and I wanted something that looked "neat" since most of my enclosures are display enclosures.

If you don't mind the look, sticky traps with or without UV lights will help cut down on stragglers.

Other critters that you can introduce that won't hurt the millipedes are a number of different springtail species. They will usually outcompete the fungus gnats without harming the millipedes when their populations stabilize.

As a side note I noticed a dramatic drop in gnat activity after my substrates matured.
I have noticed this as well now. I used to see about 12 at a time, now I have to stand for a bit to see 1 or 2.
 

coolnweird

Arachnobaron
Joined
Oct 20, 2019
Messages
512
Flytraps would be no good, they need more light than an enclosure would provide. With the inclusion of a small plant light and some cork wall mounts, pinguicula or "butterworts" might work! If you're interested I can DM you some online store recommendations
 

Godzilla90fan

Arachnosquire
Joined
Sep 4, 2021
Messages
94
Flytraps would be no good, they need more light than an enclosure would provide. With the inclusion of a small plant light and some cork wall mounts, pinguicula or "butterworts" might work! If you're interested I can DM you some online store recommendations
They seem like an interesting option, but I wonder if my Millis would get to them ?
 

coolnweird

Arachnobaron
Joined
Oct 20, 2019
Messages
512
They seem like an interesting option, but I wonder if my Millis would get to them ?
In my opinion a Ping is not sticky enough to trap even the tiniest of babies. Anything bigger than a sugar ant should be able to walk right over it. They really only have enough stick to catch fruit flies, fungus gnats, mayflies, etc! Not sure if the millis would try to eat the plant though, or if it would harm them
 

TooManyCooks

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 8, 2021
Messages
38
I had a gnat problem in my tylobolus millipede tank, so i collected some soil centipedes from the same area and tossed 'em in, thinking they'd eat the gnats. worked like a charm for a while, but they must've died out because the gnats returned.

Now i just keep a random tiny spider in my remaining millipede tanks. they help out quite a bit, but they don't get everything and sometimes i have to release the spiders and get new ones if they get too big. Also kinda limited with options, since i wouldnt recommend using any sort of cobweb spider after an "incident" that saw the death of a large tylobolus millipede.
 

Ian14

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 27, 2019
Messages
324
Unless you have a soaking wet substrate then avoid any of the carnivorous plants. They need very high humidity and wet peat to grow in. They generally are only found in highly acidic soils, with next to no nutrients, hence the adaptation to trap and "eat" animals. Butterworts also grow quite large. When I used to keep carnivorous plants I had a number of them, and they would often have quite large prey trapped on the leaves.
If you are determined to try using these, I would suggest that you try some of the dwarf species of sundew, such as Drosera brevifolia. They also do not need such bright lighting as many other species.
 

NocturnalSkies

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 2, 2021
Messages
44
Apologize for reviving an old thread but I wanted to post about this anyway, I have a 20 gallon tank of various millipede species. The tank has springtails yet fungus gnats still manage to find a way to breed in there. I added a small P.marginemaculatus. It’s been thriving in the tank for ages, grown a lot and seems to have actually reduced the gnat population. Doesn’t bother the millipedes and they don’t mind the whipspider either. They even hang out on the same cork bark.
 

Godzilla90fan

Arachnosquire
Joined
Sep 4, 2021
Messages
94
Apologize for reviving an old thread but I wanted to post about this anyway, I have a 20 gallon tank of various millipede species. The tank has springtails yet fungus gnats still manage to find a way to breed in there. I added a small P.marginemaculatus. It’s been thriving in the tank for ages, grown a lot and seems to have actually reduced the gnat population. Doesn’t bother the millipedes and they don’t mind the whipspider either. They even hang out on the same cork bark.
I've since been experimenting. Currently I have one tank with a couple of darkling beetles, one yellow flat backed millipede, 4 giants, and ants (yes ants, it was a pleasant accident). The ants don't bother my pedes at all, even my babies (though I'll wager they are eating some eggs here and there), but I can't identify their species to verify if it's just a docile breed. Finally, there are a few earthworms mixed in.
Seems to be a solid ecosystem. Everyone minds their own business, with the flat backed being by far the shyest (the slightest brush up against another species and it burrows, I attribute this to the species being functionally blind)
 

mickiem

Arachnoprince
Active Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2016
Messages
1,652
Fungus gnats and fruitflies have different eradication methods. Try to google pictures of both so you come up with the best plan. For either, I let the enclosure dry our slightly and use sticky traps. Good luck - they are so annoying!
 

KillBoxSpider

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 16, 2012
Messages
29
My solution was perhaps overkill, but I bought a bunch of stick-on 2 micron filter patches and covered my ventilation holes with those. Keeps bugs in and out. Cheap and I wanted something that looked "neat" since most of my enclosures are display enclosures.

If you don't mind the look, sticky traps with or without UV lights will help cut down on stragglers.

Other critters that you can introduce that won't hurt the millipedes are a number of different springtail species. They will usually outcompete the fungus gnats without harming the millipedes when their populations stabilize.

As a side note I noticed a dramatic drop in gnat activity after my substrates matured.
link me to the
stick-on 2 micron filter patches u got i like that in theory that should be all u need to stop them
 
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