# Fruit flies get everywhere. Suggestions?



## Galactic Lord Xenu (Sep 30, 2007)

Just opening the container a bunch tend to crawl and fall out. I was wondering if there's a way to slow them down, like does putting them in the fridge for a few minutes slow down their movements?

Also, if some escape... how easily do they survive on their own? They're wingless but I'm not sure how well they can survive on crumbs if they come across any in my carpet. Last thing I want to find is maggots... I know almost nothing about their life cycle.


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## echostatic (Sep 30, 2007)

whack the top and sides of the container before opening so that they fall to the bottom. i keep thumping it while its open so they dont crawl out. i have had almost no escape problems.


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## OGIGA (Sep 30, 2007)

Yeah, keep thumping it. THey don't survive very well outside of their culture. The larvae needs a lot of food and moisture so if you're house is clean, you're fine.


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## Rick (Sep 30, 2007)

I use 32 oz cultures but tap them into a small vial using a funnel. I put the vial into the fridge for a minute to slow them. Or you could try the search feature as this has been discussed before.


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## Precious (Oct 2, 2007)

Rick said:


> I use 32 oz cultures but tap them into a small vial using a funnel. I put the vial into the fridge for a minute to slow them. Or you could try the search feature as this has been discussed before.


I put the culture in the fridge (or freezer, be careful!) first, then tap them into the funnel/vial. When I have what I need to feed everybody, I pop the vial into the fridge one more time to knock them out long enough to make my rounds. Poor little flies, go to sleep in their stinky paradise and wake up screaming! Works like a charm.


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## Andrew (Oct 2, 2007)

I shake the flies into a large plastic bag and then put it in the bag in the fridge. Then I dump them into a container and start making the rounds.


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## Galactic Lord Xenu (Oct 8, 2007)

How long can they survive in the fridge? My apartment seems to be a bit too hot and they're reproducing waaay too fast for what I currently need.


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## Mantis Keeper (Oct 17, 2007)

Well you could make it even easier and use the feeder system that mantisfu sells, no need to freeze the flies or anything and I've not had any problems with escapes. It really is a cool system.


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## thebugwife (Oct 17, 2007)

I tap them down and funnel them into a condiment squeeze bottle then do the feeding rounds....But I just made a new feeding system that I'm gonna try.....I glued a piece of tubing to the side of a deli cup before I made a culture in it then clamped it close, I tried this with the bluebottle grubs and we'll see what happens when they're flies :blink:


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## bsharrah (Oct 17, 2007)

For less than you would spend on a soda, you can pick one of these up at Walmart. Use a funnel to put the flies in and then "squirt" them into your enclosure at your leisure. Quick, easy, and rarely do I ever get an escapee. Once everyone is fed, I usually put the cap on and sit it to the side. The flies will live for about 2 days in this, allowing me to have convenient access to more during that time should some of my mantids be hungrier than others.

Bart


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## OGIGA (Oct 17, 2007)

I culture my FFs in water bottles and use a cheap plastic funnel to feed them off. I get a lot of escapes with the 32oz containers, but not that many with these bottles.


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## meanfoot (Dec 5, 2007)

bsharrah said:


> For less than you would spend on a soda, you can pick one of these up at Walmart. Use a funnel to put the flies in and then "squirt" them into your enclosure at your leisure. Quick, easy, and rarely do I ever get an escapee. Once everyone is fed, I usually put the cap on and sit it to the side. The flies will live for about 2 days in this, allowing me to have convenient access to more during that time should some of my mantids be hungrier than others.Bart


Ok I tried this bottle and it works great I make a funnel out of regular paper ,chill the flys ,and then pour into bottle ,and as you stated very few escape ,which is kewl because i lost my fly swatter and the 12 gauge sure messes up the sheetrock ,thanx for this ideal

jim o.


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## macro junkie (Dec 5, 2007)

i have 1pint cups with netting over top..honey and bread in bottom,,and what i done it cut a small hole in side of cup..then tape it,,then because al my mantids are in 1pint cups with a sponge as a stoper in the hole on side all i do is take the sponge out the mantis cup then put the frute fly cup next to it..undo the tape and join the 2 holes up on both cups...when i see enough going frute fly go in to the mantids cup i tape the frute fly cup back up.i mayby get 1 or 2 fly away every now and then but its alot beter this way for me..the loss is very low.


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## nympho (Dec 5, 2007)

meanfoot said:


> Ok I tried this bottle and it works great I make a funnel out of regular paper ,chill the flys ,and then pour into bottle ,and as you stated very few escape ,which is kewl because i lost my fly swatter and the 12 gauge sure messes up the sheetrock ,thanx for this ideal jim o.


for easy capture of escaped flies i made a pooter. essential equipment for anyone with fruit flies in his life. if any ff get away (and they always will) its quite efficient way to capture them. they are usually attracted to the window by the light so no worries if a few get out. its also how i feed the mantids. i release say 50 flies from their culture by a window, then suck them all into the pooter, tap them to one end, take the lid off (i made it from a tiny plastic cake decoration bottle, with tubes sticking out at each end made from ball point pens) and quickly place the open pooter over the hole in top of the mantis cage. fairly hassle free. also useful for capturing wild ones to start cultures


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## ryan flew (Dec 6, 2007)

i remember on a frog forum there was a way to keep friut flies in the tank this may be the solution for everone if your tank is fly proof i am thinking of using it to start with mantids again i want to make a large display tank for like 10 ghost mantids but my dad sais no flies suggestions?

anyway what you do is get a film case and cut a cm square in the rim leaving a full circle at th top.

put the cultering mediam in the bottom and then fill the tank with the string wood stuff

these can be covered up and added to the tank i would suggest making sure the flies were breeding in them and supplying more for the mantids.

i hace never tried it and i think occaisonally the mini culters may have to be cleaned out and started again


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## macro junkie (Dec 6, 2007)

bsharrah said:


> For less than you would spend on a soda, you can pick one of these up at Walmart. Use a funnel to put the flies in and then "squirt" them into your enclosure at your leisure. Quick, easy, and rarely do I ever get an escapee. Once everyone is fed, I usually put the cap on and sit it to the side. The flies will live for about 2 days in this, allowing me to have convenient access to more during that time should some of my mantids be hungrier than others.Bart


i really like this idear but!i dont like the idea of having to get them in there..i was thinking..would there be a way to breed them in there? but fasten the medium down ..mayby a grill or somthing at bottom?sounds hard work but it would make that thing really cool then.


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## ryan (Dec 7, 2007)

macro junkie said:


> i really like this idear but!i dont like the idea of having to get them in there..i was thinking..would there be a way to breed them in there? but fasten the medium down ..mayby a grill or somthing at bottom?sounds hard work but it would make that thing really cool then.


sounds very good if that could happen but im sure problems would arise such as dead flies in the tank

anone like my idea?


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## macro junkie (Dec 7, 2007)

ryan said:


> sounds very good if that could happen but im sure problems would arise such as dead flies in the tankanone like my idea?


can u get me a pic?


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## macro junkie (Dec 7, 2007)

thats string wooden stuff seems to get mites..have u found this?u need to look hard there very small..I have 5 cultures..and the one with the sting fiber in has mites.


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## ryan (Dec 7, 2007)

macro junkie said:


> can u get me a pic?


what of the film case no sorry i looked but i cant find the topic in the frog forum


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## macro junkie (Dec 7, 2007)

ryan said:


> what of the film case no sorry i looked but i cant find the topic in the frog forum


ok


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## hogosha (Dec 7, 2007)

ryan said:


> what of the film case no sorry i looked but i cant find the topic in the frog forum


This sounds interesting but I think I want to try it with house fly pupae. Put a little honey and cricketquencher in the bottom and it would feed the flies and the flies could feed the mantids. Would this work for a 'vacation feeder'?


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## ryan (Dec 8, 2007)

im not sure but i am sure that i could be adapted

has anyone thought of alterative foods for ghost praying mantuis or a way to perswade my dad to let me starst a group of them and feed them flies?


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## macro junkie (Dec 8, 2007)

ryan said:


> im not sure but i am sure that i could be adaptedhas anyone thought of alterative foods for ghost praying mantuis or a way to perswade my dad to let me starst a group of them and feed them flies?


u could feed your ghost mantids cricket nymphs.i got some sent to me by mistake..there about the size of half a fruit fly.


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## ryan (Dec 8, 2007)

yes i know but i would much rather give them flying insects because crickets may not be fount be the ghost where as flying things would be, also crickets arnt varied enough and a flying insect has more nutrents


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## macro junkie (Dec 8, 2007)

ryan said:


> yes i know but i would much rather give them flying insects because crickets may not be fount be the ghost where as flying things would be, also crickets arnt varied enough and a flying insect has more nutrents


so what do u want..a fly that doesnt fly?theres only 3 options for u..houseflys - culy wings and frute flys.ghsot mantis can eat crickts easy.i havent heard of them having to eat flys like flwoer mantids do.?


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## ryan (Dec 8, 2007)

macro junkie said:


> so what do u want..a fly that doesnt fly?theres only 3 options for u..houseflys - culy wings and frute flys.ghsot mantis can eat crickts easy.i havent heard of them having to eat flys like flwoer mantids do.?


ok thanks


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## macro junkie (Dec 8, 2007)

ryan said:


> ok thanks


i could be wrong tho..u need wingless frute flys..half the size of nornall frute flys.then get culy wings which are half the size of house flys..culy wings cant fly.. http://www.livefoodsforgood.co.uk/lfg/inde...86a2609cd9a59cb


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## ryan (Dec 8, 2007)

macro junkie said:


> i could be wrong tho..u need wingless frute flys..half the size of nornall frute flys.then get culy wings which are half the size of house flys..culy wings cant fly.. http://www.livefoodsforgood.co.uk/lfg/inde...86a2609cd9a59cb


thanks...and they are very cheap


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## nympho (Dec 9, 2007)

macro junkie said:


> i could be wrong tho..u need wingless frute flys..half the size of nornall frute flys.then get culy wings which are half the size of house flys..culy wings cant fly.. http://www.livefoodsforgood.co.uk/lfg/inde...86a2609cd9a59cb


are wingless fruit flies really half the size of winged ones? ive never heard that before, i thought the mutation was for wing structure not body size -_-


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## Mantida (Dec 9, 2007)

nympho said:


> are wingless fruit flies really half the size of winged ones? ive never heard that before, i thought the mutation was for wing structure not body size -_-


It's the wing structure, not body size. My petstore sells the fruitflies that are capable of flying and they're the same size as the flightless ones.


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## hogosha (Dec 10, 2007)

nympho said:


> are wingless fruit flies really half the size of winged ones? ive never heard that before, i thought the mutation was for wing structure not body size -_-


I think the small sized wingless ones are referring to the Melanogaster variety of fruitfly which is about half the size of the Hydei fruitflies. It is two different varieties of flies. The flightless Hydei have wings but can't seem to use them well enough to fly with.


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