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Those Annoying Little Flies

KcTrader Apr 07, 2012 08:19 AM

Now that spring time is here, and breeding and egg laying has started for most. What do any of you do about those annoying little Carrion Flies? Do you have them? We all work hard to get fertile clutches and it just stinks to have flies attack them. I have heard using nylon stockings,pest strips,closed container incubation, and various other things. I actually heard the other day that someone was spraying the outside of the container with "Provent-a-Mite" and none of his eggs were attacked. Of course it was sprayed days before the eggs actually went in. I know I am not the only one that has had them in the past.

What is some of the things you do to prevent them? Any eradication methods used? Any Thoughts?

I think they come from low grade sphagnum moss.(Used to buy at Lowe's or HD) I changed and bought AAA New Zealand this year and so far no problems. Might be worth the extra money, not only that it lasts much longer.

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Replies (24)

PHFaust Apr 07, 2012 12:10 PM

I actually get these little flies in both spring and fall with my iguanids.

I set up a spot lamp over a bowl of water and fruity smelling dish soap. In fall I have to do more than one in my reptile room, but it catches them like a charm.
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Cindy Steinle
PHFaust
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KcTrader Apr 07, 2012 12:27 PM

Thanks, any certain brand or just FuFu dish soap....Why the spot lamp though? Does it activate the sweet smelling soap better?
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DMong Apr 07, 2012 05:28 PM

Flies are naturally attracted to light. So when they go to the light source, they also "think" there is a tasty fruit treat there as well. Then they drown from the soap reducing the surface tension when they wet their little whistles.......MUUUAAAHHHAAAAAHHAAAA!!!!
Image
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com


"some are just born to troll and roll"

PHFaust Apr 08, 2012 10:33 AM

>>Thanks, any certain brand or just FuFu dish soap....Why the spot lamp though? Does it activate the sweet smelling soap better?
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I usually get the sweetest cheapest. The apple works well, but flowery works too. The light draws the insect in as well as sending the flowery stink in the room. Makes a warm bright damp spot.
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Cindy Steinle
PHFaust
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53kw Apr 07, 2012 01:30 PM

The flies you're talking about are in the family Phoridae, the so-called scuttle flies, named for the way they move when walking. Males are much smaller than females. Females are about the size of Hydei fruit flies.

Phorid larvae eat virtually any organic material including decaying plants, insects and animal matter, and also will attack reptile eggs, chewing into the shells and allowing the eggs to bleed out and die. Typically, eggs at the bottom of a clutch are killed before eggs toward the top of a clutch--when considering adhesive eggs.

Phorids are everywhere, like bacteria, and are not transmitted by dried sphagnum moss. The Phorids that have attacked your snake eggs were most likely in the house, in the snake cage, and fly eggs were probably laid on the snake eggs before you removed them from the female snake's laying box. Once in the incubator, the fly larvae hatched and burrowed into the eggs.

Insecticides like Provent-a-Mite may be effective in killing flies or larvae which come in contact with the pesticide, but Provent-a-Mite is safest around reptiles once it has dried out. Moist conditions inside an incubator may allow toxic chemicals to transmit across the egg membrane and have some effect on developing embryos. The effect of pesticide poisoning may not be immediate; long-term effects might include nerve disorders later in a hatchling's life. Although I have not heard specifically of any detrimental effects of Provent-a-Mite, I note that the label advises allowing the pesticide to dry completely before exposing live reptiles to it, and pesticides in general are best avoided around any moisture-dependent living things like fish, amphibians, and, IMO, reptile eggs.

To defend against an infestation of Phorid larvae in an incubator, I place freshly laid eggs in a clean jar with a bit of moistened paper towel on the bottom and watch the eggs for about four or five days to see if any fly larvae appear. If they do, I remove them manually with a small watercolor paintbrush or just let them crawl off the eggs at random. If I find fly larvae I keep the eggs out of the incubator until I'm satisfied I got them all.

I monitor the eggs closely for several days after placing them into a container of moistened sphagnum to be sure no late-emerging fly larvae escaped my scrutiny while in the paper towel jar. So far, this system has worked perfectly for me.

Though not always successful, I try to keep Phorids out of my snake cages in the first place, and watch closely when female snakes are laying in case I spot some flies around. If I see flies anywhere near a laying female, I'm extra vigilant while the eggs are in pre-incubator quarantine.

If you want to clean batches of sphagnum for future use, you can place moistened sphagnum in a freezer for a while, at least a few days, which will kill any insects, their eggs and larvae. I also put the sphagnum-filled jar in the sun after taking it out of the freezer to further thermal-shock the contents. Then I just leave it closed until I'm ready to use it.

I'm not in any hurry to get eggs to hatch so a few days delay while I verify there are no flies present is fine with me. If the eggs are clean when they go into the sphagnum jar there are no further problems as far as insect damage.

I don't breed snakes every year but over the last 40-plus years I've hatched thousands of snake eggs from many different species. By far my most successful incubation method has turned out to be simply placing snake eggs into a large jar half-filled with clean sphagnum moss, moistened with distilled or reverse-osmosis water. I usually just put the egg jars on a shelf where they won't get too warm and leave them be for about 8-12 weeks. Temps are generally around 78 degrees.

rosspadilla Apr 07, 2012 03:03 PM

Thanks a lot for that.
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KcTrader Apr 07, 2012 03:47 PM

Thanks for the great info, I think I am going to try and use a soft brush on the eggs before I set them up. I usually don't get them til later in the season in the incubator. They are just plain ole annoying in the snake room. No matter how clean I keep everything the just continue to come back. Now I know why.....
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Bluerosy Apr 07, 2012 02:50 PM

I have tons of them nasty buggers because i live in the south. they attack the eggs, shavings, snake poop ect

I tried everything and only one thing works for an entire snake room.

Get one of those bug zappers at home depot. They work great!

I will post a pic of mine if you want to see what model i am using.
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www.Bluerosy.com

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Bluerosy Apr 07, 2012 02:52 PM

They say on the box lable for outdoor use. but i have ben using mine indoors for a couple seasons and i have no idea why they say for outdoor.

Anyways, if they work outdoors , you know they work great indoors. They are not expensive 9I think around $26-$39) and well worth every penny of irration these flies cause. They kill every flying insect as well as flies, moths, wasps ect
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www.Bluerosy.com

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rosspadilla Apr 07, 2012 03:02 PM

Yeah, post a picture. I use Apple cider vinegar, but doesn't always get them 100%.
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KcTrader Apr 07, 2012 03:38 PM

I also live in the south,(FL). They get crazy in the summer months. I am not sure about an electric bug zapper inside but sounds like it would work. Thanks.
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Bluerosy Apr 07, 2012 10:01 PM

I am not sure about an electric bug zapper inside but sounds like it would work. Thanks.

Think of it this way. If it works outdoors . It works indoors 10x better.

As far as it being used indoors. Well how many people have a room full of snakes. If you have snakes and it is humid in the summer. You will have knats. LOTS OF EM!

I have had mine for two seasons and love it! Before then i was struggling to always remove those nasty knats.
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www.Bluerosy.com

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Jlassiter Apr 07, 2012 10:20 PM

>>I am not sure about an electric bug zapper inside but sounds like it would work. Thanks.
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>>Think of it this way. If it works outdoors . It works indoors 10x better.
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>>As far as it being used indoors. Well how many people have a room full of snakes. If you have snakes and it is humid in the summer. You will have knats. LOTS OF EM!
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>>I have had mine for two seasons and love it! Before then i was struggling to always remove those nasty knats.
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>>www.Bluerosy.com
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Gnats!......lol
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

a153fish Apr 07, 2012 10:31 PM

Somehow the thought of having a device that incorporates the use of live voltage exposed elements, inside my home makes the hair on my neck stand on end.
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What's wrong with using CAUTION?!?!?!
King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
~ Jorge Sierra www.SierraSnakes.com

KcTrader Apr 08, 2012 03:35 AM

Specially with kids, boy the things I would have toasted in one of those if it was inside.LOL Heck the things I toasted in those when they were out side. (Buzz,Zap,Buzz,Zap)
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a153fish Apr 08, 2012 09:20 AM

Yeah, I hear you! It does sound like it works well, I am just very aware of possible fire hazzards. I have insurance on my home, but I don't like chancing it.
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What's wrong with using CAUTION?!?!?!
King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
~ Jorge Sierra www.SierraSnakes.com

KcTrader Apr 08, 2012 03:33 AM

I have 3 reasons why I won't put one of them in my house, Kids,kids,kids..... Not that they would ever touch it or mess around with it, but I have had things flying around the snake room when they help me out. Hate to see a little BBQ'ed snake in one. I guess it is natural reaction for a kid to fling their arm when a little hatchling decides to act like a big monster and take a whack at their hand when changing water bowls. (LMAO) I try to tell them it doesn't hurt, but I think it is the frightening part that gets them. Still sounds like a good idea.
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Bluerosy Apr 09, 2012 04:25 PM

LOL! I have an 8 year old to, and these zappers are not dangerous. At least the one I use isn't. You can't even get your fingers in there to touch the lamp.

I usually put a small cup with Dog flee shampoo in the bottom to ctahc the dead flies. But this time i forgot. So there you see the flies and other little buggers.

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www.Bluerosy.com

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KcTrader Apr 09, 2012 10:25 PM

Thanks, that looks like the indoor one I google searched. Thanks!
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CrimsonKing Apr 08, 2012 04:48 AM

...models specifically for indoor use as well...
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

a153fish Apr 08, 2012 09:22 AM

>>...models specifically for indoor use as well...
>>:Mark
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>>Surrender Dorothy!
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>>crimsonking.piczo.com/

Yeah, I thought they did. I wonder what is the difference? What safety provisions do those have over the outdoor ones?
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What's wrong with using CAUTION?!?!?!
King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
~ Jorge Sierra www.SierraSnakes.com

mikefedzen Apr 07, 2012 05:21 PM

I hate those flies, I'm glad I saw Kim W's post cause that will probably be most helpful. In my experience the flies only last when it's humid in the cages, I could be completely wrong here, but I also make an effort to remove feces constantly because I'm sure that attracts the flies. As well as giving the snakes limited access to water bowls and if they spill any water I clean it up.

Those flies are the devil's spawn. I've never had them affect any eggs, at least not good eggs, but I don't think I ever paid much attention to them until last year.
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www.kingpinreptiles.com

724hp Apr 10, 2012 04:00 PM

Wow... I guess i'm just lucky.

I've been breeding snakes for 13 years in TX, NM, and now SD and have never seen any sort of flies in my cages, incubator, or on eggs.

I'm not breeding this year due to moving back to TX, but i'm sure this thread is going to jinx me and next season i'll be dealing with a swarm.

DISCERN Apr 10, 2012 11:31 PM

Let me join ya!!!

I am in TX, and never had a fly problem.
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Genesis 1:1

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