Bit of a problem with the stickies...

Their food has been completely infested by aphids. Went to do the weekly clean-out of the terrarium and they were all over the place! Black, green and red! They've encouraged mould, as well, so all of the eggs from the last week have been wrecked.

It usually only takes thirty/forty-five minutes to remove the stickies and place them into a temporary enclosure, take out the ivy plant, remove the waste, separate the eggs, clean down the terrarium, and replace the plant and stickies. Today, it took me about three hours to get it all sorted!

I had to scrub down the terrarium, which wasn't too bad. Also had to hack my favourite ivy plant right back, as the infestation was so bad. Luckily, one ivy plant was unscathed and the stickies have that for now. It isn't ideal, as it's a wide-spreading one, rather than a tall one, but it'll do.

Blasted the rest of the plants under the outdoor tap and sprayed them down with washing up liquid and water. Hopefully they'll be sorted in about a week. Just a shame about the one I had to chop back, as it was the biggest and leafiest.

My rosemary plants are doing great, though! They've doubled in size and the aphids never touch them.

Jeez, that was some job to sort out poor stickies and their eggs

Bit of a nuisance! In future, I think I'll have to check the plants daily.

Where are you keeping your terranium?

Bedroom. I think the flies probably laid their eggs before the plant was put into the terrarium, though, as it was on the windowsill before.

To kill aphids: Some dish detergent and water in a spray bottle. Spray the aphids with the mix. They'll die in a few minutes. Then just rinse of the plants with the hose.
Plants are 100% aphid free and it's natural and pesticide free.
I learned this trick when I had roses.

That's what I did! Great minds think alike! Although I called it 'washing up liquid' in my post, but same thing.

Washing up liquid and washing powder is what you use for laundry here

Really? We use washing up liquid for cutlery/cookware/plates, etc., and we use detergent for our clothes!