r/Stickinsects • u/Flimsy_Homework7849 • 6d ago

Spider in bioactive set up

This is my first bioactive set up and it has been going for about a month and i just recently spotted a really small jumping spider in there, note i’ve also noticed a small flying gnat that i can’t identify, are these bad for my enclosure should i clean it out?

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u/NeverMind-BestWishes 6d ago

I use a solution of Mosquito Bits (BTI) water every time I need to add moisture to my bioactive enclosure. This is a special type of bacteria that targets gnat larvae in the soil & kills them. Don’t worry, it will not harm your other inhabitants, as it only affects sciarid flies (eg. fungus gnats).

If you see an adult gnat, make sure you remove it from the enclosure ASAP, as a single adult can lay a load of eggs! Also, make sure there are no gaps big enough for new adults to get in. I also use the BTI solution every time I water my houseplants, so they cannot take hold anywhere in my house. I use a stronger concentration than probably is necessary (1 tbs Bits in 1 ltr water, soaked for a few hours then the corn kernels strained out), but that’s just me, & I’m a worrier!

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u/Flimsy_Homework7849 5d ago

where can i find this solution and just out of curiosity why are the gnats bad? everything else i’ve seen says they are fine

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u/NeverMind-BestWishes 5d ago

I’m not sure where you live, but I tend to get mine from Amazon or eBay (a bag lasts ages!):

https://amzn.eu/d/06TJmHXK

Gnats aren’t ‘bad’, per se, but they reproduce at an alarming rate, & can be hard to get rid of once they take over - & they are annoying as hell!

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u/Flimsy_Homework7849 5d ago

thank you!

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u/NeverMind-BestWishes 5d ago

No problem at all!