# i need somones help or advice



## macro junkie (Jul 9, 2008)

I can make fruit fly cultures..im pretty good at it..always get good results.But my problem is starting with clean cultures..i just bought 2 new cultures from a online live food seller like i always do..the last cultures i bought from them where packed with mites..they assured me they couldn't see any and there cultures where fine..so i bought 2 yesterday.they have just arrived and i see lots of mites..I think there blind because its clear to see..Also there flightless but they all fly.

So im asking for someones help.I either need a link to somewhere that sales good cultures or mayby 1 of you to make me 1 then from then on i can make my own..

UK only


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## ABbuggin (Jul 9, 2008)

I recently had all my fruit fly cultures (around 10) and all my spring tail cultures (12) attacked by mites. It was terrible. I was fortunate that the mites didn't really like the super moist environment that the spring tails were in, so they slowly died out. The fruit fly cultures were a different story. &lt;_&lt; It took me 3 months to get rid of all mites in my fly cultures. I would constantly start new fly cultures when ever the mites would begin to build up (usually when the fly culture began to dry out). I also made sure to throughly wash the fruit fly culture containers with lots of soap (to kill the mites on the container). When finished washing, I would micro wave the container for 30-40 seconds to kill any remaining mites. Always making sure to sterilize my containers and start new cultures constantly slowly got rid of all the mites.


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## macro junkie (Jul 9, 2008)

come on guys..where do you get your cultures from..mr blue?rob?any one.


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## Rick (Jul 9, 2008)

If you make cultures from those with mites you will have mites. You need to throw all that out and get a nice clean culture. I had mites a few years ago and have never had them since.


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## macro junkie (Jul 9, 2008)

Rick said:


> If you make cultures from those with mites you will have mites. You need to throw all that out and get a nice clean culture. I had mites a few years ago and have never had them since.


thats what im trying to say.i dont explain my self well.i need a clean culture from someone or buy one from somewhere..the ones i keep buying are covered in mites and its pointless making more with them..im waiting on a email back from another place..if he gets some in il bin these..


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## mrblue (Jul 11, 2008)

i cant really help sorry. when i'm getting some fruit flies to start new cultures (if for whatever reason i have discontinued my own cultures, as that is where i usually get them from) i get them from a pet shop in enfield (in person, not online). however they are always pretty old and exhausted and have some mites. my cultures usually only get mites towards the end of their life, after the big fruit fly population explosion. i dont see them as any big problem. but if you want perfectly mite free ones maybe it might be worth getting some mite paper or something?


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## Peter Clausen (Jul 11, 2008)

Seems like Ian would know.

In all the years I've kept fruit fly cultures and having purchased them from various places including local pet stores, I've NEVER seen mites in a culture.


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## macro junkie (Jul 11, 2008)

Peter said:


> Seems like Ian would know.In all the years I've kept fruit fly cultures and having purchased them from various places including local pet stores, I've NEVER seen mites in a culture.


theres loads in these..i hate it.


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## The_Asa (Jul 11, 2008)

macro junkie said:


> theres loads in these..i hate it.


I also have never found mites in my cultures. I don't live in the U.K. so I don't know any places to get new ones, which seems the only way you can fix the problem.


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## darkspeed (Jul 11, 2008)

Why dont you get that big ol lens out and show us what mite infested looks like. I've never even seen them to know what to look for.


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## Christian (Jul 12, 2008)

There are always mites in fruit fly cultures, but they're not a problem most of the time and you don't see them. I recently had massive problems and began to let the fruit flies climb out the container (in a larger one). I sampled those flies and set up new cultures instead of shaking them directkly from the old into the new culture. You have to do this several times and in the end you should ban the mite problem. They don't dissappear, but just cease to be a problem. At the ones who never saw any: they are there, just check the older cultures. Tiny yellow points that ran around.


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## Rob Byatt (Jul 12, 2008)

Scott, similar to Christians advice - bin the cultures and seperate some flies off and start your own culture from those. I have never had mites, but I use a different method to most  Scuttle flies are my nemesis, but those are *controllable* too.

Rob.


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## macro junkie (Jul 12, 2008)

DARKSPEED said:


> Why dont you get that big ol lens out and show us what mite infested looks like. I've never even seen them to know what to look for.


all ready done that,,i had an ant that fell in the culture,,


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## macro junkie (Jul 12, 2008)

Rob Byatt said:


> Scott, similar to Christians advice - bin the cultures and seperate some flies off and start your own culture from those. I have never had mites, but I use a different method to most  Scuttle flies are my nemesis, but those are *controllable* too.Rob.


the mites im gueesing are hitched on the flys back..so making new cultures with the flys is pointless.i need cleane culture..i say this because iv allready done that rob..the last cultures i got from the web site i separated about 40 flys ish and started new culture with them..same problem happened..


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## Rob Byatt (Jul 12, 2008)

macro junkie said:


> the mites im gueesing are hitched on the flys back..so making new cultures with the flys is pointless.i need cleane culture..i say this because iv allready done that rob..the last cultures i got from the web site i separated about 40 flys ish and started new culture with them..same problem happened..


  



Christian said:


> I sampled those flies and set up new cultures instead of shaking them directkly from the old into the new culture.


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## macro junkie (Jul 12, 2008)

Rob Byatt said:


>


so your saying they dont hitch rides a ride on flies ?they do on other insects


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## Christian (Jul 12, 2008)

The mites are always there. You just have to diminish their amount, so they cannot reproduce as fast as the flies reproduce. Mites should not hike on flies because their too small. The phenomenon itself is called phoresy. If it still doesn't work your medium is too dry.


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## macro junkie (Jul 12, 2008)

Christian said:


> The mites are always there. You just have to diminish their amount, so they cannot reproduce as fast as the flies reproduce. Mites should not hike on flies because their too small. The phenomenon itself is called phoresy. If it still doesn't work your medium is too dry.


silly Q but if the medium is to wet this can cause more mites or not?mayby this is where i been going wrong?my medium being to wet.


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## Orin (Jul 12, 2008)

macro junkie said:


> silly Q but if the medium is to wet this can cause more mites or not?mayby this is where i been going wrong?my medium being to wet.


If the medium is wet it will reduce the number of mites (none in the medium as they drown easier than the maggots, just on the cage walls). Of course if you go overboard on the fluid you could kill everything except the mites on the walls. As to your other issue at the beginning, why not just get a hold of a wingless culture?


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## macro junkie (Jul 12, 2008)

well my cultures is packed with maggots and caters every time..i guees i just need some clean flys.like somone said above "dont tip the flys in to a new culture from your old culture) i think that could be 1 of reson why its happering.il give that a go next time.trouble is as well the flightless flys arnt flightless..tbh there cultures suck..the sooner i can get different suppler the better.


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## macro junkie (Jul 12, 2008)

Orin said:


> As to your other issue at the beginning, why not just get a hold of a wingless culture?


your not going to believe this!there wingless cultures fly also.only reson im using them is i havent got any where else to buy them..im searching tho..waiting on a few emails so fingers crossed


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## OGIGA (Jul 12, 2008)

ABbuggin said:


> I recently had all my fruit fly cultures (around 10) and all my spring tail cultures (12) attacked by mites. It was terrible. I was fortunate that the mites didn't really like the super moist environment that the spring tails were in, so they slowly died out. The fruit fly cultures were a different story. &lt;_&lt; It took me 3 months to get rid of all mites in my fly cultures. I would constantly start new fly cultures when ever the mites would begin to build up (usually when the fly culture began to dry out). I also made sure to throughly wash the fruit fly culture containers with lots of soap (to kill the mites on the container). When finished washing, I would micro wave the container for 30-40 seconds to kill any remaining mites. Always making sure to sterilize my containers and start new cultures constantly slowly got rid of all the mites.


Is there a reason why you reuse containers? I always use new containers. All my containers are water bottles.


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## macro junkie (Jul 13, 2008)

OGIGA said:


> Is there a reason why you reuse containers? I always use new containers. All my containers are water bottles.


at 7sp a container its not practical to throw each cup away after use..surely a soak in boiling hot water would sort it?


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## OGIGA (Jul 13, 2008)

macro junkie said:


> at 7sp a container its not practical to throw each cup away after use..surely a soak in boiling hot water would sort it?


What's 7sp? Is that like .7 pounds? Sorry, about the silly questions. I don't know much about British currency.


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## macro junkie (Jul 13, 2008)

OGIGA said:


> What's 7sp? Is that like .7 pounds? Sorry, about the silly questions. I don't know much about British currency.


lol..that was a typo sorry..70p..u know them ones mantis place sales?the fabric lid..32oz deli cups..well i have to order 100 from the us and with postage its worked out at about 70p each i think?


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