Tiny Flies - fraction size of regular fruit flies

Are these fungal gnats? They appear out of no where. Tried plugging ventilation holes with sponges to no avail. Don't seem to harm the larger T's but not sure about slings.
Any advice on how to prevent and rid of these? I have resorted to a total clean out of the T enclosures every 3-4 weeks. Flushing the enclosures with hot steam and washing the cork bark and sand substrate with hot water and micro waving it. Not sure if this is a good thing - moving the T's around - am sure it stresses them - but seeing those flies hovering around them distresses me.


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What kind of T are we talking about here? Is it a species that can tolerate a dry spell? If they are fungal gnats (and likely even if they aren't), then they have a food source. That food source is almost always going to have a moisture content to it. If you can fully dry the enclosure, then they won't be able to survive.

If you can't dry out the substrate (for example you have live plants, or have a huge swamp-type enclosure), then you can use a wealth of isopods and springtails to help compete for the food.

Essentially, you have an abundance of something attracting tiny flies. Find something more appealing to eat that source and you're golden.

They aren't there for food, fungus gnats need miost soil to lay eggs and brood their young in. The adults live on rotting fruit and vegetation. They are just as likely to come from potted house plants as they are Tarantula enclosures.

There is a predatory mite called Hypoaspis miles that will eradicate them http://www.buglogical.com/hypoaspis-miles/

They in almost every enclosure - b. smithi & pokies - tried drying out the enclosure but they seemed to come back everytime after I feed the Ts - so I reckon they are feeding off the "microscopic leftovers" because my housekeeping of my Ts is meticulous.
I will have a read re the mites.
Thanks everyone.



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The eggs are laid in and the larvae feed off of moist substrate. No amount of house keeping can stop them. Dry sub is the one solution or use predatory mites

The adults are thick this time of year, they feed off of rotting fruit, no doubt you or a neighbor close by has a fruit tree with fruit on the ground.

I need to whip out my macro lens and take a pic of them to properly ID them. Was concerned about what they might do to my tiny slings - just hit me that I've not seen them in my sling tubs - maybe my slings ate them ! lol


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