GNATS IN ENCLOSURES?! - 5 Quick Fixes

[@missmaggie5238]

Katchy machines work really well too!

[@ellesreptiles]

I've never actually used one inside/for gnats. Good to know they work well! Thanks 😊

[@Syddddddddd12345]

This is a problem I have started to be having this year…. It’s so annoying! Thanks for helping! Have a great day.

[@ellesreptiles]

You're very welcome! I had this problem for the very first time last year (I think it was last year, maybe 2 years ago. Idk). I got a house plant that was infested, and there were so many. 😅

[@Syddddddddd12345]

Yeah I have a lot of plants and reptile enclosures in my house and their always super bad during the warm season! We always have fruit fly traps in every room 😂

[@youreinvalid8493]

​@@ellesreptiles same thing happened to me! Accidentally bought a plant that was absolutely INFESTED with gnats. I didn't realise when I got it. I live in Ireland, the weather here changes extremes very quickly. The day I bought the plant, it felt like summer, the following week temperatures plummeted. So after only having the plant for abouta day outside, I moved it inside the night before the temperatures were meant to drop. The following morning, my room was COVERED in gnats. This was over a month ago and I'm still finding them in my beardies tank. Really hoping these tricks help🙏

[@kevinleboeuf5169]

It’s Wednesday and I’m just watching this video! 😢 I have had success with the fruit fly traps. Last summer I was changing water bowls every day because of the bugs ! See you Sunday 😊

[@fredrickalexander7023]

i just had this issue about a month ago in my scorpion tank. I 100% recommend beneficial nematodes. I hade a pretty bad infestation of fungus gnats due to some of the plants, and when i looked into ways of getting rid of them, i came across beneficial nematodes. I decided to give them a shot and once I added them, they decimated the gnat population in like, 5 days. it's actually jarring how effective they are. one of my biggest concerns was for them potentially harming my cleanup crew, but my springtail population is still going strong.

[@YSLnurse]

Thank you for this!! I’m not doing bio active for my beardy and I’m finishing up his new 4x2x2. I baked the soil, sifted it, mixed it with sand and put it in there today. I have a fan blowing on it right now. (He hasn’t moved in yet)… Bugs have been my fear thru this whole thing! I also already go thru GREAT extents even in my yard to keep bugs away but none I could use in the enclosure. BUT I bought plants today and have the mosquito bits already here!

[@cyndisanimaladventures6370]

You read my mind 😮. This just started becoming a problem in the few days.

[@ellesreptiles]

Yea, I saw a couple in my reptile room a couple days ago too 😅

[@preppedforeternityhomestea2848]

Very helpful. i suffer from gnats in my leopard gecko enclosure. I am Annabeth's adventures, just on another channel. my other one i usually use is signed out. Thanks for the helpful information. Have a blessed sunday and week ❤❤❤

[@Reptifitness]

About time a big KZbin made a video about this. I was so surprised they are so common and big youtubers never talked about them.

[@willbreidenstein8236]

I concur, Mosquito Bits (left in water then used to water the plants) coupled with letting the tank dry out has ALWAYS helped knock out even the worst infestations for me. For bigger enclosures of reptiles that require higher humidity (ball pythons, specifically) I've found that putting a few dishes/Tupperware containers of warm/hot water helps keep the humidity up WITHOUT having to water the soil. I'm now down to about 1 good watering every two weeks in my bioactive ball python enclosure and the plants are THRIVING (as is Dr. Teeth, my BP 😅)

[@corvette1999100]

I love your southern accent. Thanks for the info. My baby BCI thanks you.

[@dragonofsunshine1249]

Super glad this popped up! I just bought mosquito bits because my ball's tank has a gnat problem (warmer Florida weather...). I've tried the other methods and it never seems to quite get rid of them.

[@loispadgett6306]

Every helpful will try those traps you made seeing fruit fly nats in the house. Thanks for sharing these hints. GOD BLESS 🦎💖🐍💖🐢💖

[@davidphillips2798]

Good morning Elle, hope you have an amazing and magical week!! Guess these are the biggest reasons to quarantine new Reptiles when you receive them? These and viruses.

[@ellesreptiles]

Good morning! ☀️ Quarantining reptiles is definitely important. I hope you have an amazing week as well! 😊

[@davidphillips2798]

@@ellesreptiles thank you Ma'am!! 😊

[@KICKme77]

thank you for this video i did not think i would find a video to help with this.

[@rubenavila1087]

Thank you for the good videos as always❤

[@ellesreptiles]

You're very welcome. Have a wonderful day! 🥰

[@juelz713]

Great information

[@plantedcandles677]

Thank you, I just bought some mosquito bits, about to try today

[@jadelusk6422]

How did it end work? I'm trying to see if I could use it in a hermit crab tank.

[@georgiaherrera3857]

My home office is in the finished basement. Right above my desk is a window well. Some weeds are in there. From to time, birds fly in there, chipmunks and once a large snake slithered up the window. The outside well has plexiglass on it. I get gnats that come in. My exterminator told me about the apple cider vinegar. I take an empty Gatorade bottle. Fill it and then, I have a cherry pitter I use to poke a hole in the cap. (I never actually used the pitter to remove cherry pits. I sit the bottle on the window ledge. It works.

[@ellesreptiles]

Very nice! Yea it's amazing just how well that little contraption works. Especially for how cheap it is/how easy to make. A house plant that was infested with gnats caused quite a bit of irritation in my house, and those little traps helped so much.

[@tipping_scales]

Oh this is very timely, lol thank you!

[@timn398]

Can you keep a bearded dragon in a 75 gallon?

[@erinfandom3995]

Yes, that's the smallest recommended tank size for a full grown dragon

[@TOTALLYWICKED1]

120 gallon for adults.

[@joeyk3134]

As a baby

[@doingmybest826]

How do you apply the mosquito bits? I know you soak it in water. How do you put it in the tank?

[@Wysdrem]

I actually use the Mosquito Puck, I drop it into my misting system and have not had gnats since. It 100% does not kill Isopods, I have SO many that I give them away lol. Also having isopods who love protein is great, they eat the Gnat larvae

[@Shawnsatisfiedwife]

The mosquito bits wont hurt my dubia colony will it?

[@k2a2l2]

just made 2 bioactive set ups that will be very humid the whole time. definitely worried as its getting warmer so im for sure going to be trying mosquito bits 🙏

[@jadelusk6422]

Did you end up trying it? I'm looking for things to fix my humid hermit crab tank.

[@lonelyshredder2225]

Are mosquito bits safe for frogs? I see people use it in reptile enclosures but not frog enclosures

[@sphericreptiles]

Your videos are great!!!

[@_emily__222]

Hi can I use the dunks inside my crested bioactive ??

[@badboy-nc8si]

Could I use that top soil that you used in this video for my ball python Substrate?

[@sgame82]

Has anyone tried carnivorous plants outside the tank?

[@ellesreptiles]

Ooooh, I'd be super interested to know how well that worked, too. I think there's only a couple specific carnivorous plants that can go into a tank... I'm definitely going to be looking into that more today 😊

[@youreinvalid8493]

I have carnivorous plants near my beardies tank, and I've honestly seen minimal difference. It could depend on the type though I only have pitchers and Venus fly traps(currently growing sundews so I'll find out about them sometime this year hopefully!). The Venus fly trap catches very minimal amounts, my pitcher has definitely caught more. (It should be kept in mind that these plants both have pretty high toxicity and I would definitely try avoid letting your pet take a bite! It should also be kept in mind that a lot of carnivorous plants need decent amounts of sunlight, so keep that in mind too) I would say it makes a difference, if it's something you'd be interested in doing. Keeps your carnivorous plants fed and cuts down the gnats a bit, but it definitely doesn't eliminate the gnat problem entirely. Speaking from my own experience here, so I hope this helps!

[@willbreidenstein8236]

I've heard of people putting them in the enclosure, but would worry about any small reptiles falling in and getting digested 😬 They're definitely beautiful, but hard to maintain sometimes, as I believe their pH requirements tend to be pretty specific.

[@lavarlavar1245]

Bloopers at the end 😂😂😂😂

[@hollyjoseph1613]

you should make a video on all the did reasons that beardies black beard!

[@sharonmatthews3365]

I'm hoping you can help me. Occasionally I find these little worm worms like creatures in my cresties food. I usually have one or two fruit flies in the enclosures when I find them. I change food every other day. I also feed crickets. But those little worm like things creep me out. Do fruit flies usually deposit larvae that quickly or is it most likely something more sinister

[@willbreidenstein8236]

You are correct, it's typically fruit fly larvae if you feed them fruit flies, otherwise it may be fungus gnat larvae.

[@plantingwithnat]

I have plants and those pesky gnats are driving me nuts. I will be buying the bits for both my plants and my leopard gecko that I will be buying soon .

[@tinkerman9434]

If u get the substrate damp and wrap it in Tin foil before you put it in the oven.It'll steam it and won't catch fire. 200° for 1 1/2 hrs is how I do mine

[@GatorGuy-v7n]

Im gonna clarify mosquito bits only work once soaked it is better to boil them into a broth as to poor in the substrate but only after it's cooled but mosquito bits has worked but doesn't kill the big nats so I recommended getting a plug in blue light raid trap that goes into a outlet not in a enclosure to get the adults especially when night time rolls around an if you use only heat Mats at night this is a good solution. Hope helps.

[@ellesreptiles]

I usually put them in wet tanks, so they get sprayed down, but I've never thought of boiling them into a "broth" and just pouring it into the tank. That's a genius idea. Will try that in the future, thank you so much!!!

[@GatorGuy-v7n]

@@ellesreptiles anytime!

[@braydennelson9099]

Thanks for the mosquito bits info regarding cleanup crew. I have been fearful of killing my isopods and springtails. \:)

[@loganhansen4626]

It would been awesome if you did one on ants as well

[@bull.dozier9271]

I had them in my bearded dragon and ball pythons tank...mostly my ball python though because of the humidity...I'm pretty sure the bioactive kits for their tanks I got from Josh's frogs had larvae or eggs in it...I got rid of mine by waiting for the top inch in my ball pythons tank substrate dry out and then I removed both of them from there tanks and all of the furniture that was not wood then misted the tanks generously but not too crazy with a mixture of 1:4 hydrogen peroxide and water to cover every surface...let them air out while my beardy got a bath and my BP hung out on my neck and watched a few episodes of anime then put them back in after cleaning the rocks/plastic hides with a chlorhexidine solution...they've had no issues now 2 years straight and i have not had to spray or do anything else...

[@triple_A_rockhound]

Venus fly traps might be good idea 🙂

[@Gurlwhodraws33419]

I love your hair

[@jioautomo1993]

Not all of these Gnats fall for the cup or bottle trick unfortunately! They hang around it and just BS..I had to buy the light traps because that's what they really want for some reason!

[@jeremydeansausages1985]

Awesome. It I don't have any substreets or Live plants in my guilty's house. But these little stupid gnats will not leave. So i'm definitely gonna try the vinegar soap. Her big a** terrarium is completely clean and spotless all the time. So I don't know if they're looking for heat in the lamps or what it is

[@carolynd1679]

I catch the fruit flies from my gecko enclosures to feed my jumping spiders! Problem solved!

[@kismitj]

sundew and butterwort plants around the reptile room-not in enclosures! they're carnivorous plants who have sticky leaves that both attract and trap the fungus gnats

[@youreinvalid8493]

Happy to hear this!! I currently have a Venus fly trap and pitcher plant, and neither are catching much. I started growing some sundew, hoping they would be more helpful, so it's great to hear some confirmation on that!

[@PetitePhillyLife]

The top soil I got was infested…. I just had to clean out all 4 of my terrariums because the eggs hatched and my poor little guys were being over run by them. I’m leaving them in a all plastic environment until I know the plants and soil are gnat free

[@georgiaherrera3857]

I have hermit crabs. I saw this really neat hide made out of a shelled out melon. It was then shalacked. It smelled so good. But it completely attracted fruit flies. My one crab was covered. I threw out the hide. For crabs you have to give them fresh water and salt water. It said the best way to get rid of fruit flies is to rinse everything including the crab with salt water. All the extra shells, decorations and "Lenny" got rinsed. It worked. I don't know if salt water can be used on reptiles and other exotics though.

[@ellesreptiles]

Even when shellacked, hollowed out melons can attract fruit flies - I did know know that. Glad you were able to fix the problem! 😊

[@this_planet_aint_my_type]

9 seconds ago wow

[@triple_A_rockhound]

Nats cab be a bugger lol