I have recently added some reconstituted moss to my fire-bellied toad and Tree frog enclosures (about 2-3 wks ago). I have JUST noticed (about 6 hours ago) itty bitty little bugs (knats?) Not sure if they came in the moss or with something else. Are they harmful to the frogs/toads or just an eye sore to me? If I need to get rid of them, HOW!?

Could you be more specific when describing what they look like? There are a lot of itty-bitty bugs out there. My first guess would be fungus gnats or springtails though. What color are they? Can they fly? How big are they?

__________________
+5 bonus points to whoever finds me a job!

"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines." - John Benfield

they are so small all I can say is they are white and seem to crawl around. Not fly but able to "jump" on the water (similar to water bugs on ponds). Haven't seen any actually IN the water just on top. Noticed them feeding on a dead cricket, though.

Sounds like the ones I have in my monitor enclosures. Handy little guys. I could only narrow mine down to a form of Springtails. Not exactly positive on which though. They are great for breaking down waste and other organic matter. Usually they are more prolific in the damp areas.

__________________
Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

Are they beneficial? or should I try to get rid of them. Should I let the moss dry out completely? I try to mist the tanks at least once a day, maybe more. The ambient humidity is about 65-70 percent in all my tanks. Started misting, thinking the frogs would like it. Now I see these bugs, YUK!

They are springtails. They're completely harmless and thrive in moist habitats. I had them in my old lizard habitat, but it was a naturalistic habitat, so I left them. They seemed to gather around poo. They're also a great indicator in millipede habitats. Since millipedes share the same habitat as springtails, if your habitat attracts springtails, you know it's perfect for your millipede

But if you want to get rid of them, you may have to seriously dry out the substrate and clean out the habitat. Possibly even start over with all new substrate. They can be persistent.

__________________
+5 bonus points to whoever finds me a job!

"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines." - John Benfield

As long as they are beneficial and not a bother to the frogs/toads, I think I'll let them be. Thank you to all that have answered by questions regarding this most current issue. (Though I'm not exactly thrilled about them) Oh well, I must be doing something right if I have them

Hey, just think , your setup is that much more natural...

__________________
"Nobody can do Everything, but Everybody can do Something."

Like Matt said if you get too many you can remove some of the damp soil and dry the enclosure for a few days. It seems to cut down on the numbers. I like having them around but don't want to have them in too huge of numbers either.

__________________
Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

beneficial. Keep them in there unless the numbers become too much.

__________________
My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.