Box Turtle and Tortoise Discussion :: vivarium bugs!

[Starchick]

Gah! We just replaced all the dirt and moss about 3 weeks ago and added live plants, and we have fruit flies already! Any suggestions for how to keep them at bay?

[TheComputerGremlin]

During my genetics class, where we bred fruit flies, my teacher kept a mason jar with a funnel, and the bottom he kept filled with like an inch of vinegar. I guess the fruit flies are attracted to the smell, go down the funnel to get to the vinegar, get stuck, and drown. I know in our classroom we always had a jar full of dead fruit flies. Just make sure the funnel isn't too big or they can maybe fly out!

[steve]

I think RunningWide (?) had a similar problem. Hopefully we can get him to chime in.

I know there is a soda bottle/yeast trap you can make for flies, not sure if it will work on fruit flies.

[RunninWideOpen]

Knock Out Gnats!!! Worked miracles!!! Definitely the only thing I will ever use anymore.

It's from www.GardensAlive.com . I've not found it in any local stores.

One tip, I've found if you dilute it a little more than they tell you to, it still works really well. And then, you don't go through the bottle so quickly. It is a little expensive.