06-05-2020, 10:43 AM
When you see reference to "nemerteans" they are actually, 99.99999% of the time, a terrestrial flatworm (Rynchodemus sylvaticus sp). Although there are terrestrial nemerteans, they are basically unheard of as viv pests whereas flatworms are common in vivs and greenhouses and mild climates, like Hawaii.
They are capable arthropod predators - including fruit flies and small isopods and they can consume them in large numbers when the worms' population booms. In my experience, they will decline over time to relative rarity. I have observed my frogs eating them more than once and now I rarely see one ever (less than than once every 6 months) and I observe my viv daily.
They 'ride' in on newly acquired bromeliads. They need moist almost wet conditions.
So: Remove the ones you see (they are especially active at night and on wet surfaces of leaves, broms and glass). There's not really anything else you can do to eliminate them quickly. They go after fruit flies, especially the larger 'worms', and you will also see the tell-tale husks of dead flies clinging to plants or glass.
1. Relax. Take a deep breath. NO NEED for a vivarium tear-down and god forbid a silly 'dry ice/ CO2' blunder that almost never works for any viv pest - doesn't kill the eggs and adults survive more than you would think. Chemicals and poisons are goofy and preposterous. Don't consider them.
1. They WILL peter out. Every vivarium pest has a 'boom and bust' cycle. They will NOT harm your frogs, froglets or frog eggs.
2. Use a paper towel section or a Kleenex ripped in half -no need to waste an entire paper product and grab them and ball up the paper and into the trash .NO way they are surviving that. Just keep at it, and after a while of hand-removing them, you will see less and less and then....none. I have hand removed at least a dozen vivs and they go away quicker than you think and rarely come back and never 'with a vengeance'.
Post content by Kimcmich and some editing and additional content by Philsuma.
They are capable arthropod predators - including fruit flies and small isopods and they can consume them in large numbers when the worms' population booms. In my experience, they will decline over time to relative rarity. I have observed my frogs eating them more than once and now I rarely see one ever (less than than once every 6 months) and I observe my viv daily.
They 'ride' in on newly acquired bromeliads. They need moist almost wet conditions.
So: Remove the ones you see (they are especially active at night and on wet surfaces of leaves, broms and glass). There's not really anything else you can do to eliminate them quickly. They go after fruit flies, especially the larger 'worms', and you will also see the tell-tale husks of dead flies clinging to plants or glass.
1. Relax. Take a deep breath. NO NEED for a vivarium tear-down and god forbid a silly 'dry ice/ CO2' blunder that almost never works for any viv pest - doesn't kill the eggs and adults survive more than you would think. Chemicals and poisons are goofy and preposterous. Don't consider them.
1. They WILL peter out. Every vivarium pest has a 'boom and bust' cycle. They will NOT harm your frogs, froglets or frog eggs.
2. Use a paper towel section or a Kleenex ripped in half -no need to waste an entire paper product and grab them and ball up the paper and into the trash .NO way they are surviving that. Just keep at it, and after a while of hand-removing them, you will see less and less and then....none. I have hand removed at least a dozen vivs and they go away quicker than you think and rarely come back and never 'with a vengeance'.
Post content by Kimcmich and some editing and additional content by Philsuma.
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"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana".