coconut coir

[leanneb85]

have decided to change my russian torts substrate to coconut coir as i've been incredibly unlucky with top soil recently as they have been infested with fly eggs. I have bought the bag not bricks do i still have to soak it? or can i just give it a spray?

 

[Cheryl Hills]

It still needs to be soaked. Pour water in it and mix with your hands

 

[Tom]

Make a thick layer of it after it soaks up some water, and then hand pack it down. It takes about two weeks to "settle".

The bugs are not coming from the soil. They are coming from the surrounding environment. Your damp heated enclosure makes an ideal location for them to set up shop and breed. They are harmless detrivores, and I just ignore them. If you want to be rid of them, you will need to boil, bake, freeze or replace your substrate every couple of weeks. They often have a population explosion, and then balance out as the days and weeks pass. I hardly notice them anymore.