fly problem

[vincent winyard]

hi there everyone i need help. i was on here a while ago with a fly problem and there back after i thought i sorted it. there tiny a bit smaller than green fly like what you see on roses. they seem to love one tank in particular i keep killing them and they keep comming. the last time i had this problem i nuked the soil from the tank where they were hanging out and thought that done the trick but after a while they returned. none of the other tanks are affected maybe i'll spot one in another tank once in a blue moon. there mostly in this one tank again and the rest of the room. the soil's not to damp as i use a damp cloth on top of the tank to help with humidity and a water bowl inside. the cloth's not constantly damp so i dont think that's caused the problem. they dont seem to be causing any real problem with the spider as such but i feel they need to go any suggestions or advise thank's everyone.

[Mark Harrison]

Vincent are the flies small, black and whispy? If so you could have what are commonly called Fungus Gnats. They are reported to be a harmless fly that feed on rotting plant material and cause no trouble in the terraria. I doubt its anything as serious as Scuttle flies. I believe that most cases of scuttle infestations are with wild caught Tarantula's.

[Peter Lacey]

there are a number of these flies that you can get in your enclosures, many of these are nothing more than scavengers however you should watch out for worms in the substrate. Unfortunately these are great for reproducing and unsightly.
You could get an electronic fly swat - about £4+ on ebay - or an electric device that attracts flies. I've heard of success with these but I'd be extremely surprised if this eradicated your issue, its just part of the eco-system.
Personally, I'd remove the cloth you mention, a large wide water bowl eg. a plant saucer, will provide a much better way of increasing humidity.

[vincent winyard]

hi there mark yes they are black and whispy but there's no fungus or real plants in the tank and like i said it's not very damp in there as i rest a slightly damp cloth on top of the tank to keep the humidity at the right level. and she obviously has a water dish. just wondered the best way to get rid of them for good. thanks for getting back to me and for your help mark.

[vincent winyard]

hi pete thank's for getting back to me. i have been looking closely at the substrate when clearing out what i can by hand and i haven't come across any worms. as for the damp cloth i think i will take it away and see how thing's go. thank's for your help pete.