Hermie dead -black flying things

TheAngel1270 · 08-17-2008, 05:20 PM

I noticed that awful fishy death smell in my tank earlier today and lifted the hermie hut to find the only crab on top of the sand very still. I saw several small blackish bugs crawling on the coconut, immediately thought mites but these things fly. My hermie fell out of his shell and wasn't moving so I buried him and sprayed the tank down with salt water, rinsed the shell he was in and the hut. Most of the bugs are gone but they do fly so I'm thinking not mites but does anyone know what they are?? Gnats maybe just drawn to the stink?
Please help! I have two more crabbies buried and don't want these bugs to attack them when they surface, if they do....I hope I'm just not an awful crabby parent and they are all dead. I don't want to try to un-bury them though in case they are just molting or hiding.
Anyone??

**HERMEZ** · 08-17-2008, 07:54 PM

Gnats most likely- I have had moths and skeeters in mine along with gnats this year- I HATE BUGS!

**HERMEZ** · 08-17-2008, 07:54 PM

Oops I am very sorry for your loss too.

WizKidsMom · 08-20-2008, 05:57 AM

Hermez - how did skeeters get into your tank?

The Angel - do you change your fresh food every day? They might have come from there.
How long have you had your hermies?

Sorry for your loss.

**HERMEZ** · 08-20-2008, 12:54 PM

very easy..........I have holes for airation and when the lids are up anything can get in that is my best guess. Skeeters are in swarms here--sadly

TheAngel1270 · 08-24-2008, 04:19 PM

Hey everyone!
Sorry it took a while to get back here. I work two jobs, have a son, two cats, 6 kittens..right now..kittens and one adult leaving soon.

anyway, yes, I think the black things were gnats. They left after the smell was gone. One of my buried hermies came up from below recently, crawled around, changed shells (into the old shell from the dead hermie) and walled himself into a hermie hut. I guess he's happy. LOL The hermie that died, I have no idea how long the previous owners had it. I got it secondhand from someone...had it about a month to a month and a half before this happened. I had just moved them from a 10 gallon tank to a 30 gallon tank a week or so before that. Maybe he was just stressed, maybe he was old. Hard to say.
thanks for the replies!!

krackersmom2 · 08-26-2008, 05:59 PM

Possibly fruit flies.

08-17-2008, 05:20 PM	#1 (permalink)
TheAngel1270 Hi, I'm New Here! Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 2	Hermie dead -black flying things I noticed that awful fishy death smell in my tank earlier today and lifted the hermie hut to find the only crab on top of the sand very still. I saw several small blackish bugs crawling on the coconut, immediately thought mites but these things fly. My hermie fell out of his shell and wasn't moving so I buried him and sprayed the tank down with salt water, rinsed the shell he was in and the hut. Most of the bugs are gone but they do fly so I'm thinking not mites but does anyone know what they are?? Gnats maybe just drawn to the stink? Please help! I have two more crabbies buried and don't want these bugs to attack them when they surface, if they do....I hope I'm just not an awful crabby parent and they are all dead. I don't want to try to un-bury them though in case they are just molting or hiding. Anyone??

08-17-2008, 07:54 PM	#2 (permalink)
HERMEZ Moderator Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: NC Posts: 1,293	Re: Hermie dead -black flying things Gnats most likely- I have had moths and skeeters in mine along with gnats this year- I HATE BUGS! __________________ 22PP's~9 Rugs~9 E's~5 Straws~2 Indo's~4 Violas~ http://photobucket.com/albums/a96/Herm-EZ/

08-17-2008, 07:54 PM	#3 (permalink)
HERMEZ Moderator Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: NC Posts: 1,293	Re: Hermie dead -black flying things Oops I am very sorry for your loss too. __________________ 22PP's~9 Rugs~9 E's~5 Straws~2 Indo's~4 Violas~ http://photobucket.com/albums/a96/Herm-EZ/

08-20-2008, 05:57 AM	#4 (permalink)
WizKidsMom "Second Molt In Progress" Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 481	Re: Hermie dead -black flying things Hermez - how did skeeters get into your tank? The Angel - do you change your fresh food every day? They might have come from there. How long have you had your hermies? Sorry for your loss. __________________ WizKidsMom (Cheryl) WizKidsPics 10 PPs & 4 E's

08-20-2008, 12:54 PM	#5 (permalink)
HERMEZ Moderator Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: NC Posts: 1,293	Re: Hermie dead -black flying things very easy..........I have holes for airation and when the lids are up anything can get in that is my best guess. Skeeters are in swarms here--sadly __________________ 22PP's~9 Rugs~9 E's~5 Straws~2 Indo's~4 Violas~ http://photobucket.com/albums/a96/Herm-EZ/

08-24-2008, 04:19 PM	#6 (permalink)
TheAngel1270 Hi, I'm New Here! Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 2	Re: Hermie dead -black flying things Hey everyone! Sorry it took a while to get back here. I work two jobs, have a son, two cats, 6 kittens..right now..kittens and one adult leaving soon. anyway, yes, I think the black things were gnats. They left after the smell was gone. One of my buried hermies came up from below recently, crawled around, changed shells (into the old shell from the dead hermie) and walled himself into a hermie hut. I guess he's happy. LOL The hermie that died, I have no idea how long the previous owners had it. I got it secondhand from someone...had it about a month to a month and a half before this happened. I had just moved them from a 10 gallon tank to a 30 gallon tank a week or so before that. Maybe he was just stressed, maybe he was old. Hard to say. thanks for the replies!!

08-26-2008, 05:59 PM	#7 (permalink)
krackersmom2 (Large Crab) Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: South TX (near the beach) Posts: 1,128	Re: Hermie dead -black flying things Possibly fruit flies. __________________ 12 PP's: Spooky, Baby, Flash, Rocky, Herbie, Violet, Fester, Zeus, Neptune, Mars, Luna and Misterie R.I.P:Hercules and Apollo

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode