# How do you feed fruitflies?



## BugLover (Mar 28, 2013)

I bought a cup of fruitflies yesterday and I don't see any way to get them into my mantids containers without many of them coming out. How do you get yours out without many escaping?

Thanks!


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## sally (Mar 28, 2013)

There is a thread in the feeding forum that is excellent. It shows some great ideas for feeding ffs. Me, I just tap them so they fall off the lid and quickly shake in. But I only use a few. check out the threads they are really informative


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## sally (Mar 28, 2013)

sally said:


> There is a thread in the feeding forum that is excellent. It shows some great ideas for feeding ffs. Me, I just tap them so they fall off the lid and quickly shake in. But I only use a few. check out the threads they are really informative


Oh and put the word " funnel " in the search for the feeding forum all the ideas will pop up.


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## BugLover (Mar 28, 2013)

I looked at some of the topics and they were very helpful thanks! I'll see if i can find a funnel...


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## glock34girl (Mar 28, 2013)

The best way that I know is to put the ffs in one of those condiment squirter things and just blow them in. I tried several other ways but this seems to be the quickest route at least for me.


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## Paradoxica (Mar 28, 2013)

BugLover said:


> I looked at some of the topics and they were very helpful thanks! I'll see if i can find a funnel...


I just roll a sheet of glossy paper (like from a magazine) into a cone and tape it. that way you can make it fit the feeding hole perfectly.


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## BugLover (Mar 28, 2013)

Paradoxica said:


> I just roll a sheet of glossy paper (like from a magazine) into a cone and tape it. that way you can make it fit the feeding hole perfectly.


never thought of that! thanks!



glock34girl said:


> The best way that I know is to put the ffs in one of those condiment squirter things and just blow them in. I tried several other ways but this seems to be the quickest route at least for me.


Also sounds like a great idea I'll try it!


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## hibiscusmile (Mar 28, 2013)

best free funnels, pop bottle cut in half!!! please, no applause, just throw money! ":tt2:


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## angelofdeathzz (Mar 28, 2013)

I tell them "Be a trooper and get in that deli" and off they go! :lol: 

http://youtu.be/YoY_Fahp_Qc


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## BugLover (Mar 28, 2013)

XD where did you find that? I'll have to try that with my nymphs


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## Rick (Mar 31, 2013)

I use a small funnel and lots of tapping. Years of experience help too.


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## zeadlee (Mar 31, 2013)

Here is my way(with pics). It may be the same as hibiscusmile's way.

1.This is the tools needed. A funnel and a sauce bottle.







2.Cut a hole on the FF's deli

3.Tap the deli to let the ffs out and get into the sauce bottle through the funnel.






4.squeez the sauce bottle and the ff will be pushed out.






5.cover the hole when finished.






6.And done!

The advantage of this method is you can tap ffs of all your mantis needed in the sauce bottle at one time and squeez them out "a few by a few"(sorry but I don't know how to express this in English, hope you can understand).


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## TheOtherSpecies (Apr 4, 2013)

I took a funnel and hot glued it to a deli cup lid... if you get the right sized funnel it will fit perfectly in place within the rim of the deli cup. When its feeding time for my 70+ nymphs in my 10 gal. I tap all the flies away from the top of the deli cup and place my funnel lid in place of my standard cloth deli lid. I cap the tip of the funnel with my finger until i unscrew the lid on my 10 gal and just let them flow in until there are enough to feed them all and done. I am more than willing to share pics of my set up! I should have my photo bucket link on my profile soon with photos of this!


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## BugLover (Apr 4, 2013)

Ok Thanks for all of the help! I've ended up just sticking the ff's in the freezer for 30 seconds and then tapping them into the container. TheOtherSpecies I would like to see that setup it sounds good!


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## TheOtherSpecies (Apr 5, 2013)

BugLover said:


> Ok Thanks for all of the help! I've ended up just sticking the ff's in the freezer for 30 seconds and then tapping them into the container. TheOtherSpecies I would like to see that setup it sounds good!


I'm scheduled for my new tattoo tonight but I should be able to get pics up by Sunday!


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## hibiscusmile (Apr 5, 2013)

Anything that works is great, make up what works for you! :sailor:


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## TheOtherSpecies (Apr 5, 2013)

http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/TheOtherSpecies/library/Mantis%20Enclosure?page=1


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