Flies in Terrarium...

[dannie]

I have two tarichas in a ten gallon terrarium setup. Since the spring/summer months here in AZ are on the hot side, a lot of bugs are making their way inside. Some of which are those little flies that like to hang around your house plants. I never noticed them until a couple weeks ago flying inside the terrarium. Lately they've grown in numbers. Are they harmful to the newts? I'm not sure if they are eating them or not and there isn't a difference in behavior except the newts have been spending more time in the shaded parts of the tank, I'm assuming because of the temps. Do these flies bite the newts? I also saw a little gray "bug" crawling over one newt, about the size of the tip of a pen. Are these mites? Should I change them to an aquatic setup until winter again? ALL help appreciated! ;D

 

[joan]

I suggest getting a bigger tank. I keep one in a 20 gallon. The bugs are probably not harmful unless you notice them bothering your newts or biting them. I keep mine aquatic during the summer, as this is what it seems to prefer.