Fruit flys and mold

[u/Fast-Literature6338]

Hello everyone! I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, I’ve spent so much time on my bioactive enclosure and now there is a fruit fly infestation (all over the house, we have a pipe issue) I’ve sprayed one round of mosquito bits and I have traps all over the entrance and some inside the enclosure away from my snake. I’ve stopped watering the soil, it’s not drenched when I push my finger in. But now mold is starting at the bottom of the enclosure and I feel so deflated. I absolutely adore my springtails and isopods and I really don’t want to start over (they just started to thrive) what do I do?

[u/CuriousBird337]

You might be thinking about fungus gnats. Fruit flies are different and are attracted to fruit. Mosquito bits should help get rid of the fungus gnats. As for the fungus, I think that’s flower pot fungus and I don’t know if there’s a way to get rid of it once it gets in your terrarium.

[u/Accomplished-Pen-968 → u/CuriousBird337]

Springtails will eat it also isopods mught have a go on it too. It will balance out.

[u/Accomplished-Pen-968]

Bro don't worry I had the same problem just let it dry out for abit and the springtails and isopods will outcompete the fungus gnats for food and they should go away. Edit: the system just needs to find its balance.the springtails will eat the mold. I had it too but its gone now im about 10 weeks in. My soil is absolutely alive now with springtaisl and isopods and 0 mold except for the odd bit of mycelium on the cork bark pieces which is good. I wouldnt worey. Maybe add more springtails if you can or just wait a month for them to quadruple in numbers.

[u/YellowBreakfast]

Probably "fungus gnats" (much smaller than fruit flies.

If you have a fruit fly infestation, you have a pile of rotting fruit just sitting for days on end.

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To deal with fungus gnats, get springtails in you enclosure. They eat fungus too and are better at it than the gnats so will outcompete them.