Does Vinegar kill gnats/maggots ?

eldondominicano · Jan 31, 2015

Hello all,

Can vinegar be applied to the enclosure a T is in? I've had issues in which maggots have been formed from a corner dampened under my water dishes. Could I in the future instead of full rehouse, attempt to spray the corner under the dish with vinegar?

Thanks,

Rafael

tarantulashack · Jan 31, 2015

I personally wouldn't use vinegar ive read its toxic to Ts. what kind of maggots are they? depending on the type of T id allow the substrate to dry completely in that area or rehouse to completely eliminate the maggots.

Ellenantula · Jan 31, 2015

I vote no, no & no to the vinegar. I have a damp corner in my chaco gk enclosure (no maggots/mites thankfully) but since it's in a corner, I often get a spoon and just remove the damp substrate there and replace it with dry substrate before replacing the bowl. I would also look for anything that might be wicking water out of the dish. This is all contingent upon your T would allowing you to change the substrate in that corner and that you aren't destroying hours of his webbing.
Obviously if the problem is beyond one corner, a full change / rehouse might be needed.

eldondominicano · Jan 31, 2015

Ellenantula said:
I vote no, no & no to the vinegar. I have a damp corner in my chaco gk enclosure (no maggots/mites thankfully) but since it's in a corner, I often get a spoon and just remove the damp substrate there and replace it with dry substrate before replacing the bowl. I would also look for anything that might be wicking water out of the dish. This is all contingent upon your T would allowing you to change the substrate in that corner and that you aren't destroying hours of his webbing.
Obviously if the problem is beyond one corner, a full change / rehouse might be needed.

I did just this with my obt enclosure and one of my pokies corners. Not heavy infestation but def gnats flying around. I replaced under water dish with dry some dry sub. I will continue to watch the enclosures

cold blood · Jan 31, 2015

#1 most important thing is to keep the enclosure cleaner in the future. :wink: Maggots don't just show up overnight.

eldondominicano · Jan 31, 2015

cold blood said:
#1 most important thing is to keep the enclosure cleaner in the future. :wink: Maggots don't just show up overnight.

I switched to bagged Topsoil after these issues with gnats, But the ingredients mention that there could either be compost or rice hulls its not more specific than that. I know this doesn't mean that there's poo compost in the mix. Cow manure is used for this top soil in Florida exclusively. I'm on the other side of the continent lol. Is there any concern with plant compost? Also, perhaps I didn't pull out a bolus that I didn't see

. But i did check in the enclosures and couldn't see what the issue could be.. I also cant remember what I used for sub, if it was organic potting soil or what. They've been in their enclosures for a bit of time.

miss moxie · Jan 31, 2015

cold blood said:
#1 most important thing is to keep the enclosure cleaner in the future. :wink: Maggots don't just show up overnight.

+1 -- Keep an eye on that sort of thing. If it did happen in the future, I'd do a full re-house because why keep substrate that's successfully harbored maggot growth?

cold blood · Jan 31, 2015

Manure is bad. When you see organic, it basically means it uses natural fertilizers...which if often doo doo. The stuff you need is often the cheapest stuff available.

eldondominicano · Jan 31, 2015

miss moxie said:
+1 -- Keep an eye on that sort of thing. If it did happen in the future, I'd do a full re-house because why keep substrate that's successfully harbored maggot growth?

My substrate that I'm using now hasn't previously harbored maggot growth, unfortunately the sub in the two older enclosures was the last of what I had for potting soil(organic) It really upsets me that I've made this mistake quite a bit of times

Ellenantula · Jan 31, 2015

I've been lucky so far with not having mites. I guess I change out that damp corner in hopes of it being preventative.
I really don't want mites!
But I keep thinking something is wicking it out of the water dish -- I'm not an over-spiller when refilling dishes, substrate isn't touching top of dish and I see no webbing to wick it out..
Baffles me unless my T is taking night-time swims. :giggle:

eldondominicano · Jan 31, 2015

cold blood said:
Manure is bad. When you see organic, it basically means it uses natural fertilizers...which if often doo doo. The stuff you need is often the cheapest stuff available.

This topsoil fortunately was a couple bucks per bag, but yea I hear you, I've just always been concerned with pesticides in potting soil. Probably too concerned

Sana · Feb 3, 2015

I move the water dishes in my enclosures once a month to a different position to allow the previous one to completely dry out. I think that my T's throw water out of their dishes now and again, cause I have the same problem as Ellenantula, I don't overfill and can't see where it would be wicking.

Sam_Peanuts · Feb 3, 2015

After a couple of years, all of my water dish seem to start to loose their ability to retain water. I never took the time to test it, but I'm thinking water goes right through them.

Curious jay · Feb 3, 2015

I only use water bowls in a few of my enclosures, the ones I use them in I just double them up in a slightly bigger dish, so any overflow goes into the holding dish.

eldondominicano · Feb 3, 2015

Curious jay said:
I only use water bowls in a few of my enclosures, the ones I use them in I just double them up in a slightly bigger dish, so any overflow goes into the holding dish.

Ive done this for my Avics

The Snark · Feb 3, 2015

When dealing with, using vinegar, it is best to take into consideration what it really is. A dilute form of acetic acid with a wide variety of contaminants. While very dilute it still retains the properties of a hazardous acid and as it dries it tends to concentrate, even to the degree of forming a strongly corrosive crystalline substance.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetic_acid

To answer the OP's original question, if it can kill gnats and maggots it is a biohazard that can effect all animals. In the process of breaking down it creates chlorine gas. While vinegar has been proven to have many health benefits when ingested in small quantities, the byproducts formed as it degrades have no place in an animals residence.

eldondominicano · Feb 3, 2015

The Snark said:
When dealing with, using vinegar, it is best to take into consideration what it really is. A dilute form of acetic acid with a wide variety of contaminants. While very dilute it still retains the properties of a hazardous acid and as it dies it tends to concentrate, even to the degree of forming a strongly corrosive crystalline substance.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetic_acid

To answer the OP's original question, if it can kill gnats and maggots it is a biohazard that can effect all animals. In the process of breaking down it creates chlorine gas. While vinegar has been proven to have many health benefits when ingested in small quantities, the byproducts formed as it degrades have no place in an animals residence.

Thanks for this Snark!! You always bring the facts. So I have resorted to just making sure I have the right sub, right moisture level, right spacing between moistening sub, and rotating my water dish. My best working solution has been using soil from my back yard. Have never had any issues with flies

---------- Post added 02-03-2015 at 08:38 PM ----------

And of course proper ventilation

Smokehound714 · Feb 4, 2015

the best way to curb a fungus gnat problem is by introducing other micro detritivores to compete for food.

if you introduce springtails, you should see their numbers decline, though you wont be able to completely eradicate them.

Does Vinegar kill gnats/maggots ?

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