Dealing with small black flies

SWDK · 11-10-16, 02:10 PM

So recently I've been having an issue with these small black flies in my snake room and enclosures. The problem has gotten worse over the past month or so since the weather has changed. They almost look like fruit flies but a bit larger.

Has anyone dealt with flies like this or of another type? What's the best method to combat them? I'm going to hang up a few strips of fly paper, but that's only a shot in the dark to catch a few of them.

I spot clean my enclosures 4-5 times a week and do a complete enclosure cleaning monthly or sooner if the enclosure get funky.

akane · 11-10-16, 05:35 PM

I don't know what they are called but they are annoying as hell. They will lay eggs anywhere and even float them on clean to putrid water to hatch. I have some now for my husband not rinsing out dishes again. They will also use anything moist, eat any fruit or vegetable, soda left out (I have no idea how many I've drank), get in food cultures..... EVERYWHERE! You have to cleanup or exclude them from everything for awhile. Rinse out all water sources daily.

**Andy_G** · 11-10-16, 06:03 PM

Diluted nix works like a charm for these. I get them from time to time and a light mist of the stuff drops them quick. Not sure what else I would be comfortable using.

BobBarley · 11-10-16, 06:38 PM

Are you talking fungus gnats? A heat humidifier works best, they fly into it and die because they love heat and humidity. I can stand by this method and say that I had an infestation, and 90% were gone within the week.

akane · 11-10-16, 07:44 PM

They don't quite look like gnats but they are a bit small for fruit flies. I've taken to just referring to them as the tiny flying things. You can kill them in mass quantities if you spray them with something but more hatch out if you haven't solved where they are coming from which can be anywhere. Not just the sources of fungus gnats or the sources of fruit flies but like you combined the 2 into a super flying bug that aims to survive a nuclear war.

chairman · 11-10-16, 07:51 PM

You can kill the adults with the fly tape or by leaving glasses half-full of vinegar in the room. You can kill the eggs by adding isopods to your cages, the isopods will prey on the eggs. When all the gnats are dead the isopods will "prey" on animal poop; a healthy population makes even spot cleaning a rare occurrence.

SWDK · 11-10-16, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobBarley

Are you talking fungus gnats? A heat humidifier works best, they fly into it and die because they love heat and humidity. I can stand by this method and say that I had an infestation, and 90% were gone within the week.

I believe they are Phorid Flies from the research I've done.

akane · 11-10-16, 09:50 PM

Most of these types of flies are not attracted to flypaper. I have it everywhere. It catches house flies and the odd larger fly that can't breed indoors but none of these things. Fruit fly traps are relatively helpful. Just creating any liquid with the surface tension broken by dish soap will drown the highest number. My fish tanks save me from a lot of pests because meal moths to flies and gnats go looking for water and drown or get eaten anyway by fish. I think that may be why I haven't seen them in awhile. Attempting to drink at or breed on a fish tank is not a good result for them and since weight has to be spread out the tanks are scattered in various rooms.

BobBarley · 11-11-16, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWDK

I believe they are Phorid Flies from the research I've done.

Then trust me, if you have a heat humidifier, they'll be gone in about 2 weeks.

Just set the humidifier in the same room, near the affected enclosures.

sattva · 11-11-16, 09:53 PM

I recently have had a few small flies living in my bathroom drain... The sink was draining slow until the maintenance man snake it today... Will see if they disappear... Need frogs, lots of frogs... I don't like little black bugs lately... and then give them wings... Grrrrr... I think you need to find the source of the attraction and remove it...

SWDK · 11-15-16, 02:51 PM

The fly situation seems to be improving. I've been spot cleaning daily and that's definitely helping. They congregated on and around the snakes waste. I've also been changing and cleaning the water bowls daily. So far my plan of attack is working out.

Albert Clark · 11-17-16, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWDK

The fly situation seems to be improving. I've been spot cleaning daily and that's definitely helping. They congregated on and around the snakes waste. I've also been changing and cleaning the water bowls daily. So far my plan of attack is working out.

This is really what i was thinking! Daily spot cleaning and maintenence removal of any and all waste is the root to healthy, thriving animals. Kudos to you for the problem solving.

SWDK · 11-17-16, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albert Clark

This is really what i was thinking! Daily spot cleaning and maintenence removal of any and all waste is the root to healthy, thriving animals. Kudos to you for the problem solving.

Yep, it's definitely making a difference. I used to spot clean 2-3 times a week. That was ok when I had a smaller number of snakes. Now that I've got 1/2 a zoo there's way more poop to deal with. Spot cleaning daily really isn't much more work at all. I actually think it's easier because I get it all I on the fly and not every enclosure needs cleaning every day. When I would wait you could guarantee cleaning every enclosure.

pet_snake_78 · 11-17-16, 07:45 PM

They are often come in with boxes of crickets. I get them time to time and spot cleaning super often, fly tapes, and vinegar have all helped in my case. I'll give the hot humidifier a shot if they come back again sometime.