# Fruit flies



## Lissimore12 (May 9, 2011)

I have run into a problem. My order from Carey should be here today with like a million (not quite that many, but still) nymphs, and my order for FF is from frey (coming with my idolos, and orchids) but i have NO clue when that will be here, as it is coming all the way from poland. What should i do! My babies will need food. I didnt even think of this.


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## PhilinYuma (May 9, 2011)

You ordered itsy bitsy fruit flies from Europe? Interesting! I am assuming that there is no local pet store that sells them

I think that your best bet is to contact Carey ASAP and see if she can send you you some mels by Express. She mails on Mon and Wed, but if you cry and beg, maybe she'll send some out tomorrow. Good luck and let us know how it turns out!


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## Colorcham427 (May 9, 2011)

Get wild FFs fast.

Get banana peel. 4 deli cup containers, no lids needed.

Remove banana peel.

Mash up 1/4th of a banana, make 4 cups, sprinkle 3 pinches of brewers yeast on top of the mashed up banana mess, rubberband a paper towel for the lid, poke a dozen small holes with a tip of a pencil. make sure the cups are in the shade, not the sun.


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## PhilinYuma (May 9, 2011)

Brian Aschenbach said:


> Get wild FFs fast.
> 
> Get banana peel. 4 deli cup containers, no lids needed.
> 
> ...


Good idea, Brian except that the day time high in Vancouver right now is somewhere in the fifties!


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## Lissimore12 (May 9, 2011)

Ill try it. they didnt show up today.. which worries me more.


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## Lissimore12 (May 9, 2011)

PhilinYuma said:


> You ordered itsy bitsy fruit flies from Europe? Interesting! I am assuming that there is no local pet store that sells them


haha, i know that it sounds rediculous, but it there are NO local pet stores (or pet stores in surrounding cities) that sell them, and i just remember it while i was placing my order from frey.


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## wyethia (May 9, 2011)

Welcome to one of the frustrations of mantis ownership  I've spen $40 on fruit fly cultures in the last two weeks and have nothing to show for it. Two cooked in the mail, 2 were from a local pet store and mysteriously died within hours of bringing them home. My 100 house fly pupae hatched about 20 flies and seemingly are otherwise dead (again, due to the heat in shipping--the ones that hatched in shipping made it, but the others are toast-and of course, today is lovely and cool....) I ordered more houseflies from a different vender that should have shipped today but no sign of that so far (I had paid for Express, so was hoping for them tommorrow).

I'm lucky I have a few stragging ff from my original ff cultures and more should be hatching soon. Crossing my fingers some house flies hatch before my chinese start eating one another too badly. They are at least eating crickets too, but my other mantids are stuck with whatever I can catch.

the timing of feeders is a huge part of the learning curve. Tarantulas are so much easier because even babies can go so long between feedings.

Wyethia


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## Lissimore12 (May 10, 2011)

Wyethia said:


> Two cooked in the mail, 2 were from a local pet store and mysteriously died within hours of bringing them home. My 100 house fly pupae hatched about 20 flies and seemingly are otherwise dead (again, due to the heat in shipping--the ones that hatched in shipping made it, but the others are toast-and of course, today is lovely and cool....)


I dont think ill ever have to worry about anything i order cooking in the mail unless i order in mid summer (sometimes we get good weather in the summer).. its 50 degrees here right now and people are out in their gardens in t-shirts and shorts trying to pretend we have nice weather (although, its probably the nicest its going to be for the next few months  )


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## Lissimore12 (May 14, 2011)

just an update. my package still hasnt come in with my fruit flies and i have NOTHING to feed all of my nymphs. Theyre going to DIE, and i dont know what to do. Iv e tried going outside to catch food, but its still too cold out for any bugs besides ants, and they cant eat them


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## hibiscusmile (May 14, 2011)

what a shame, to bad u were not next door :mellow: I made 25 cultures last night, and almost that many tonight, getting tired of flies.......


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## sporeworld (May 15, 2011)

What do you have and how long have they been without food...? They CAN last a while without eatting... if needed.

If they'll eat crickets, the local pets store might have them small enough. If they're big enough, you can try hand feeding them peices of larger prey (mealworms, crickets, etc).

If they'll eat ladybugs (unlikely) you can get them from the nursery. You can also just buy a few plants and shake out the creepy crawlies that always seem to come with them (although they could do more harm than good).

Finally, many would disagree, but you can probably lower them temp (maybe 65f?) to slow their metabolism (especially if you think they're going to die anyway) until food arrives.


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## Ricardo (May 15, 2011)

PINHEADS

go to the petstore and pick up some pinheads they should sell them where you are. I'm from Surrey BC btw and David ( sunfirereptiles )is in burnaby. I get my pinheads from petland. if pinheads don't work see if he can send you a culture.

I have an extra culture here. If you're desperate I could give it to you :mellow:


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## Lissimore12 (May 15, 2011)

Sporeworld said:


> What do you have and how long have they been without food...? They CAN last a while without eatting... if needed.
> 
> If they'll eat crickets, the local pets store might have them small enough. If they're big enough, you can try hand feeding them peices of larger prey (mealworms, crickets, etc).
> 
> ...


Ive tried everything, they wont eat crickets, and are too small for anything else.


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## Lissimore12 (May 15, 2011)

Ricardo said:


> PINHEADS
> 
> go to the petstore and pick up some pinheads they should sell them where you are. I'm from Surrey BC btw and David ( sunfirereptiles )is in burnaby. I get my pinheads from petland. if pinheads don't work see if he can send you a culture.
> 
> I have an extra culture here. If you're desperate I could give it to you :mellow:


our petland doesnt sell pinheads, but i will be in richmond on the 21st of may. Ive tried smaller chrickets though, and they wont eat them, ill PM you.


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## Lissimore12 (May 15, 2011)

.. lost 3 gambians, 2 blue flashes, and my only h. parviceps (well, shes not dead yet, but cant even stand, so im expecting her to last maybe another hour or two) this afternoon..


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## sporeworld (May 15, 2011)

Have you tried smashing the crickets and using tweezers or thongs to feed them? Once they get some juices on them, they'll lick it off compusively. Should get them interested.

You can also tried the mashed up banana or honey trick. If they go for it, add some peices from the mashed up criket to the mix.


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## Ricardo (May 16, 2011)

HAnd feed them honey or jam to give them some sugar and moisture. Since they're so weak they won't run away. It's how I kept my violins strong enough to wait for pinheads. on the end of a toothpick works


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## patrickfraser (May 16, 2011)

PLANNING! What are we doing here?

OMG! Over a week!


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## Lissimore12 (May 16, 2011)

patrickfraser said:


> PLANNING! What are we doing here?
> 
> OMG! Over a week!


Freys package was shipped oer a week before the one from Carey, so i assumed it would be here by now.


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## patrickfraser (May 16, 2011)

I know how that goes.




Good luck when it finally arrives... if anything has survived.


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## Termite48 (May 16, 2011)

I can vouch for what Sporeworld and Ricardo have written. I received an adult Violin female in such bad condition that she cannot now even feed herself. I smash a cricket and mix that with some very sticky honey and/or smashed banana and place it on something so she can reach it. Sometimes she is able to feed herself this way. Sometimes I give it to her on a toothpick or kitchen knife. She has hung in there this way for over two weeks. I don't think she ever be of any use, but it is a way to keep something alive if that is all that there is as a problem, until your flies come. There is also the Brian A. method if yor weather warms up a bit.


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## Lissimore12 (May 16, 2011)

patrickfraser said:


> I know how that goes.
> 
> 
> 
> Good luck when it finally arrives... if anything has survived.


I got it today, i had ordered 2 idolos and 2 orchids. Both the idolos made it and one orchid, i was pretty impressed with that, but guess what... NO FRUIT FLIES! Which i NEED and PAID for.


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## lancaster1313 (May 16, 2011)

Please, try hand feeding cricket pieces and juices to your nymphs until you can find something they can catch on their own. :mellow: It can be alot of work, but can be rewarding as well.


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## Ricardo (May 16, 2011)

Have you tried our methods yet?


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## Lissimore12 (May 18, 2011)

yep. thank you guys so much! They already look alot better. I have fruit flies coming from Sunfire-Reptiles, and frey has informed me that my fruit flies are coming in a seperate package.


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## Ricardo (May 19, 2011)

AlexLissimore said:


> yep. thank you guys so much! They already look alot better. I have fruit flies coming from Sunfire-Reptiles, and frey has informed me that my fruit flies are coming in a seperate package.


Great stuff! And remember if you are ever interested in owning a chinese I've got a healthy supply here in surrey if you ever want one  

glad to here your little guys are doing good!


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