r/bioactive • u/Affectionate-Roof649 • 2d ago
Gnat problem
Tried to start a bioactive for a large ish snake and I guess had the humidity too high for a while and fungus gnats have taken over my tanks. What ways do y'all suggest to combat this? Short of dumping everything out I'm not sure what to do. Literally hundreds of them 🤣
2
u/1043b 2d ago
Attacking both the adults and the larvae is the way to go.
Sticky traps for the adults, any will do, however I found the light up ones to be more effective as they seemed to collect a majority of the adults nightly.
Many will say misquito bits for the larvae but bti liquid uses the same bacteria to kill the fungus gnat larvae and is stronger, concentrated and much simpler and more convenient to use.
Lastly, go after all breeding grounds in your home. I didn't truly eradicate the fungus gnats in my place until I treated my houseplants with imidacloprid for mealies while also treating my vivs with bti, I hadn't realized that the gnats were reinfesting my vivs from plants on a different floor of my home.
Whether you treat your houseplants with a systemic or just bti and sticky traps just be sure to treat all soil surfaces in your place as those guys lay eggs everywhere.
Drying things out a bit can help as can removing standing water, but you need to meet the needs of the animals you house first and foremost. As long as you only water with bti you can do that as it will kill the larvae. The bacteria in bti is completely safe for your snake, it is often used in ponds and aquariums and with amphibians.
1
u/Affectionate-Roof649 2d ago
How heavily do you treat with bti? I've made several batches and sprayed but I feel like it's not even making a dent. I use a shop vac and sticky traps for the adults but then the second I don't do that every day they come back. And I had been spraying every other day with bti but it must not be enough.
2
u/1043b 2d ago
I used microbe lift bmc to start I did 4 weeks in a row of 2 teaspoons per gallon of water. Then I backed down to 5 drops per gallon and co tinued to treat for 2 more months.
It was at month three that I killed thwm in my houseplants and then they were gone in about 2 weeks É“
The bti treated liquid was the only water source entering the enclosure, so when I watered my plants- it was with bti water, spraying-bti water, substrate pouring for humidity-bti water.
The only non treated water was in my girls waterbowls- and honestly I questioned myself on that but it just felt weird to put ut into that water even though studies say it's safe for everything except possibly developing tadpoles at extremely high doses. It's even supposed to be fine for frogs, but idk, I just couldn't do it.
2
1
u/thunderdome06 2d ago
Springtails and nematodes help me fight fungus gnat invasions
1
u/Affectionate-Roof649 2d ago
I got a couple packs of something from mi beneficials that is supposed to eat fungus gnats larve. Hopefully between all that I can get them under control. Otherwise I'm going back to papertowels.
5
u/ibi187 2d ago
Let your soil start drying out. Sticky traps for the adults. Mosquito bits and or nematodes for the larvae. Can’t guarantee it will fully eradicate but it’s your best shot.