Blue bottle pupae help?

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Zalonik

Zalonik

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I recently ordered a single l5 ghost nymph from GreenOasis as well as a couple of BB pupae. I don't really have much experience raising the flies, and I'm a little clueless as to "activate" the pupae. :huh: So I have a couple questions regarding them

How long does it take for the pupae to turn into maggots and flies?

How long can I leave the other pupae in the fridge?

How many pupae would it be appropriate to leave out of the fridge for one tiny mantis?

And lastly, what should I be feeding my flies to keep them fat and healthy? ^_^

I've been catching some small moths outside to feed my ghost so far. Any help is much appreciated for a newbie mantid freak. :D

 
There is a whole write up on fly culture here in the forum. Let me see if I can get you the link. http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=20395&st=0&p=151349&hl=+culturing%20+blue%20+bottle%20+flies&fromsearch=1entry151349 Now I see that that does not answer your questions. Pupae eclose to adult flies in one to four days. You can leave the flies in the refrigerator as long as you like, but they will still eclose in four to five days. It is recommended to put them in the frig for up to five days/ leave them out for five days, and so forth.

You can leave out twenty or so pupae and when they eclose (become adult flies feed them honey diluted with water. There are various powdered foods available) feed as many as your Ghostie wants to a point. Don't let it eat till it looks swollen. You might get a better answer from others, but maybe up to three to four at that stage per day. You need to replace the flies that were eaten as they will take some time to eclose. It is an art getting the right number to be available and that is an art I have not developed quite yet. I am working on it.

 
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Zalonik said:
I recently ordered a single l5 ghost nymph from GreenOasis as well as a couple of BB pupae. I don't really have much experience raising the flies, and I'm a little clueless as to "activate" the pupae. :huh: So I have a couple questions regarding them

How long does it take for the pupae to turn into maggots and flies?

How long can I leave the other pupae in the fridge?

How many pupae would it be appropriate to leave out of the fridge for one tiny mantis?

And lastly, what should I be feeding my flies to keep them fat and healthy? ^_^

I've been catching some small moths outside to feed my ghost so far. Any help is much appreciated for a newbie mantid freak. :D
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Good to see you back, Karen! I remember you writing about trying to feed your mantis ants, last November, which is what i had tried to do exactly two years earlier. I was afraid that your studies had caused you to give up the hobby.

O.K. I assume that "pupae to turn into maggots and flies" is a typo. If you have pupae, they have already gone through the egg and maggot stage and are ready to eclose as adult flies.

An L5 ghost will manage perfectly well on one BB a day, but if you offer two, the chances of it catching one BB is greater.

I usually feed 100 grams of HF pupae a week. Your pupae should manage OK for about two weeks, so try and buy no more than 30-50 at a time (they probably won't all eclose). Check yr neighborhood for a bait shop. They may sell "spikes" which are BB maggots. If you keep them in a container in the fridge (do you live alone? :eek: ) they will pupate and then you can feed them as they eclose. I think that my hero, Chuck at SpiderPharm advocates letting refrigerated HF pupae sit out for five hours every few days, and that may be what Rich was thinking of. Certainly, if you have had them in the fridge for five days and then leave them out for five, they will all eclose.

So put two pupae in each of two small pots with a cloth lid every two days once the first batch starts to eclose, and you will have a constant supply of BBs for yr baby. If you need them stunned for feeding, put them in the freezer for about five minutes. YRMV, though, so check the first batch closely so that you don't freeze them to death!

Good luck, and let us know how you make out!

 
Zalonik said:
I recently ordered a single l5 ghost nymph from GreenOasis as well as a couple of BB pupae. I don't really have much experience raising the flies, and I'm a little clueless as to "activate" the pupae. :huh: So I have a couple questions regarding them

How long does it take for the pupae to turn into maggots and flies?

How long can I leave the other pupae in the fridge?

How many pupae would it be appropriate to leave out of the fridge for one tiny mantis?

And lastly, what should I be feeding my flies to keep them fat and healthy? ^_^

I've been catching some small moths outside to feed my ghost so far. Any help is much appreciated for a newbie mantid freak. :D
Click to expand...
1. depends on temperature. Did you buy maggots or pupae? If maggots it should only take a few days max. If pupae once you take them from the fridge the clock starts and again, depends on temps but something like five days or so.

2. I've kept both pupae and maggots in the fridge for a few weeks or longer. Once you start seeing the rate of hatching drop you konw they're getting aged.

3. For one tiny mantis be sure blue bottles are the right size. They're big flies. For one mantis I would take out several. I feed the adult flies honey befor transferring them to the mantis. They live quite awhile. You will need to learn how long it takes them to eclose so you can time it and not run out of live food.

4. I feed honey from a syringe.

 
Thanks for the responses! And I'm so glad to see you remembered me, Phil. ^_^ My Chinese mantis has a nice and happy run, and definitley would not be my last!

Thank you for the tips though. I was quite clueless when it came to the pupae. I'm taking Phil's advice and leaving some out, since I'm not sure how long I would have to time it to always have some live flies available. Needless to say, my ghost is energetic with a healthy appetite, and just devours insects! She's been happily munching on some live bugs from around my peach tree. I'm super excited with her, she's just so cool to watch. I can't wait to watch her take down some some big ol' BBs. :D

And Rick, do you add anything extra to the honey? Or is it just regular, store-bought honey?

 

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