|
Post by Simon on Sept 7, 2009 13:30:14 GMT
|
|
|
Post by lilmissvix on Sept 7, 2009 13:38:36 GMT
That be a good idea i also get problems with flies and it drives me up the wall as my room doubles as snails room and really annoys me
|
|
|
Post by Simon on Sept 7, 2009 13:41:05 GMT
HeyHey, I hope idea catches on lol Seems like it would work Ill try it out, Might aswell hey...
|
|
|
Post by Rachel on Sept 7, 2009 16:55:06 GMT
if its those little black flies I found the most effective way to get them was a large amount of hypoasis miles.
|
|
|
Post by feebix on Sept 7, 2009 17:26:48 GMT
I wouldn`t have thought that would work dude. That, and you won`t see your snails?! Things like scarid fly and larvea seem to just happen within the compost, just covering it won`t keep the mighty mother nature out in my opinion. I get flies too and the best solution I`ve found is to turn the compost now and then, don`t let it get all settled and always put the food in the same place. The more food you put in there at any one time, the more mites and flies you`ll get, but I find it really can`t be avoided completely. Things like mites and Scarid fly just go hand in hand with a pet like a snail because they favour the same conditions, all you can do is minimise it really......
|
|
|
Post by snailcrazy on Sept 7, 2009 17:37:05 GMT
i had loads of trouble with the flied and them laying eggs in the tank. You can change the compost etc very often and still have loads of the flippin things. I put loads of hypoaspis mites in my tank a few months ago and that has really helped. Don't get mites or many flies either. I also got some springtails in there to give the hypos something elso to feed on when they have eated all the other mites etc.
|
|
|
Post by muddydragon on Sept 7, 2009 17:46:38 GMT
and whatever room your snails are in i recommend get some carnivorous plants, (not venus fly traps) but pitchers or sundews or butterworts, they just hoover up loads of those annoying flies, so you are less likely to get eggs laid in the tanks to start with and less flies in the room plus they look great (note: don't put them in with the snails i can't immagine it ending well!)
|
|
|
Post by Simon on Sept 7, 2009 17:59:43 GMT
Thanks for all the advise peoplee
|
|
|
Post by feebix on Sept 7, 2009 19:30:33 GMT
The carnivorous plant idea is a good one ! I have quite a lot of those, and I love them to bits ! I keep meaning to do some pictures actually.... I`ve just this second had a brain wave ! You know those electric blue things that kill flies in the butchers shop? You can buy small ones for a tenner now, you could leave one near the tank, I could see that hoovering up loads and maybe even stopping them breeding, they can`t resist that beautiful blue light ! That sounds like it may work as a bit of a quick fix, they`d just go straight for the light, and it`s cool too !
|
|
|
Post by snailcrazy on Sept 7, 2009 19:34:04 GMT
That's a good idea, zap the flippin things. Do you need to feed the plants in winter if there aren't any flies about.
|
|
|
Post by feebix on Sept 7, 2009 19:41:49 GMT
Nope, I just leave them to it. My plants are years old too.... I`ll do some photos soon
|
|
|
Post by feebix on Sept 7, 2009 19:44:08 GMT
Worms are a great idea too Simon, I`ve got massive colonies of those now, I started with just nine cleaned worms and I must have hundreds and hundreds now lol Custodians too, if you can keep the tank right for them ( I struggled at first) they keep the soil in top notch condition, my compost is months and months old, and it is still like clean nice compost...
|
|
|
Post by muddydragon on Sept 7, 2009 19:59:46 GMT
WOW - i might look into getting some worms for the tanks at somepoint. (originally i had that sentace as: i might get worms sometime - not the greatest line!) as for carnivorous plants - no never feed them and they are best off in substrate that doesnt have many nutrients (like coir or sphagnum or a mix... useful...) though they love lots of water (some more than others) some carniverous plants would rather die back over winter (like venus fly trap - which are useless in this country except if in very hot direct sun and only at catching big flies... and in the case of mine spiders that crawl in after the flies....) but most are ok. Butterworts are well worth getting, mine never stops flowering and is like living fly paper. and pitcher plants ohh so beautiful need less light and flies cant resist them Nepenthes (essentially the hanging down species) are particually good at getting the small flies that breed in compost! (some large ground based species actually catch rats...) and who doesnt love sundews less effective i've found but i'm in love with Drosera binata *note to self: stop talking about carnivorous plants now!* feebix: you must post pictures of them sometime! carnivorous plants are just great!
|
|
|
Post by feebix on Sept 7, 2009 20:07:31 GMT
I`ll do that really soon I promise I keep meaning to photograh my cactus collection too, so I will...
|
|
|
Post by muddydragon on Sept 7, 2009 20:15:25 GMT
you like cacti? ;D great arent they?! my Echinopsis subdenudata flowered a couple of days ago here: although generally my favourites are the ferrocacti - people say i must be insane when i repot them but atleast they keep their spines and you can see them! not like these mammilaria which like to attach themselves to anything and everything and not let go or worse let go and leave the spine embedded grrrr... p.s. along with far far too many snails i keep far far too many house plants, predominatly carnivorous plants, cacti and other succulents, bromeliads, orchids, african violets and other odds and ends... p.p.s so i'ld love to see pics of your cacti collection too! p.p.p.s for those who dont know the echinopsis subdenudata is the fat round one towards the back with lots of white fluff arounf the areoles and greatly reduced spines - and yes the flower is bigger than the plant! (as opposed to the star shaped one, and the 'dangly' one)
|
|