Help! Flies, flies everywhere in my terrarium!
allinarow
17 years ago
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iliketerrariums
17 years agoallinarow
17 years agoRelated Discussions
flies..flies..flies...offer your solution
Comments (3)I hear ya! I was watering this evening and the flies were driving me nuts, even my husband was getting bit. I make my own traps from soft drink bottles. Just below the neck, I poke two or three holes that are just big enough for the fly to crawl into the bottle. Then I add a sweet liquid (juice most of the time) and if I happen to have leftover salmon loaf in the frig I add a little of that, you want it to get smelly. Then I tie a string around the neck of the bottle and hang where I don't have to smell them ;). I usually make several at a time. I have delayed doing it this year since we have so many bees and I don't want to drown the bees. Works great for gnat problems, too. These work great and are basically free. I leave them out til they start to dry out, then cut them down with my garden scissors and into the garbage....See MoreLittle flies infesting my house from my can o worms help!
Comments (7)Not easy. Some things to try, but all basically cut down the numbers as opposed to an instant cure. - Smaller feedings, or give them a break from feeding altogether (have bedding they can munch on though). Also freeze (then thaw) feedings before adding so they get processed faster. Worst thing is food hanging around for weeks. - Bury the feedings under some VC. Doesn't have to be that deep as long as it covers everything, just don't want it open air. Loose shirt might not work unless it's really tight, loosely on top doesn't really count as if there's any gaps they can crawl in easily. - If they are coming from the top tray, try a mesh lid. Fine mesh overtop instead of the plastic one, held in place with bungie cord. Seals better than the plastic lid (at least the lids I've seen). Also stops the wife from seeing them flying around :). You can then lift up a corner and stick a vacuum inside without letting them all out (as the plastic lid would). Tap it around a bit to get the suckers to fly up and into the vacuum of death. You can do that daily to make sure they don't get old enough to lay more eggs. With time you can drastically reduce the numbers flying around....See Morehouse flies or soldier flies?
Comments (6)Housefly larvae are about the size of a grain of rice, and are white. Soldier fly larvae are dirty-white to grey, about half an inch long and roughly the same circumference as a number two pencil. Based on your description, I'd lay odds that you have soldier fly larvae in your bin. If I understand you correctly, you had the bin outside, but recently moved it indoors due to heat. Is that right? Know that, while adult soldier flies will not willingly come indoors and there are few suitable places indoors for the larvae to pupate, it is possible that they may crawl from the bin, find a nice pupation site, and develope into adults that will be trapped inside your home. A bin with a resident population of soldier fly larvae is best kept outdoors. Know, too, that soldier fly larvae are drawn to all environments of decaying organic materials, not just to food scraps or stinky, anaerobic systems, as is the case with houseflies. It is normal to find them in healthy worm bins and compost piles. Their presence in your system is not indicative of something you did wrong, rather, it is a normal and, while admittedly kind of icky, highly beneficial. Consider putting the bin back outdoors in a location protected from sunlight but through which air can freely move. Keep the bin damp (the soldier fly larvae will help with this as their activity tends to increase moisture in worm bins) and the worms will easily tolerate the high temps. Kelly S...See MoreBlack flies and/or horse flies!
Comments (7)I'm a bit jealous to hear of the rain you folks up north are getting. It's terribly dry here in southern CT, and some plants are suffering from the drought. Our River Birch has started to show yellowing leaves and some roses have browned. Also, I'm still being plagued by black flies! They're outside waiting for me no matter when I try to work in the gardens. Apparently "our" black flies haven't read what the UNH Extension Services wrote about them... "Black flies are active only during the day. They do not bite at night. Depending on weather, black flies tend to be more active at certain times of day. Activity peaks tend to occur around 9:00 to 11:00 AM and again from 4:00 to 7:00 in the late afternoon and early evening, or until the suns falls below the horizon. They tend to be most active on humid, cloudy days and just before storms. If possible, avoid activity during times when black flies are most active. Early morning, midday and late evenings are the best times to work outside."...See Moreiliketerrariums
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