# House Fly Technique



## paddythemic (Aug 17, 2010)

If I order housefly "pupae" will they last last longer if:

I put it all in a 12x12 plastic and netting cube, then let it all hatch. (figuring out a way to sequester them later).

or

I put most of it in the fridge and then just put pupae in my mantid habitats until they hatch as needed.

(Thanks for everyone's help by the way...)


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## LauraMG (Aug 18, 2010)

Put them in the fridge and take out what you need when you need them. That's the easiest way for me.


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## Colorcham427 (Aug 18, 2010)

paddythemic said:


> If I order housefly "pupae" will they last last longer if:
> 
> I put it all in a 12x12 plastic and netting cube, then let it all hatch. (figuring out a way to sequester them later).
> 
> ...


They will last longer if you let them all hatch out in that 12x12 cube. Place a shallow cup of buttermilk powder and sugar, 50/50 ratio mixed together.

And another shallow cup of aspen fiber or wood chips, with water half way filled. The wooded pieces should be partly covering the water pool.

The flies will all hatch out, let them eat and drink etc. for a few hours. Store them in the fridge, in 1 hour you will be able to take advantage of them, knock some into a cup that you will be transporting them in. Take the netted cube out and let the remaining flies warm up and get back to eating and drinking.

Whenever you want more flies, put them in the fridge, NOT the freezer, for a solid hour. They'll become soooo lazy! lol... The lethargic stage lasts for a few minutes.

Make sure when you let them hatch in the netted cube, you have all the pupae in a cup, you don't want the pupae shells to be all over the floor when they hatch, that is an annoying mess to have to deal with when collecting them in the fridge! good luck!


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## Rick (Aug 18, 2010)

Brian Aschenbach said:


> They will last longer if you let them all hatch out in that 12x12 cube. Place a shallow cup of buttermilk powder and sugar, 50/50 ratio mixed together.
> 
> And another shallow cup of aspen fiber or wood chips, with water half way filled. The wooded pieces should be partly covering the water pool.
> 
> ...


Wow! If that works for you, more power to ya. However, you're making it far more difficult than it has to be. I have used the freezer technique for years. If you set a timer and know how long it takes, you won't kill them.

I keep the pupa in the fridge. I take out what I need to pupate. When I start running low on those I take out more pupa and put in a different 32 oz insect cup. I feed the flies honey squirted on the side of the container with a syringe. When it is time to feed mantids I put the whole container in the freezer. New flies take 4 mins to slow down. When they stop moving I can remove them from the freezer and pluck them out with long tweezers to drop into the mantid enclosures. Done! No waiting around for an hour while flies slow down in the fridge. It's all very simple.


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## LauraMG (Aug 18, 2010)

I wanted to mention one other thing that I've had trouble with myself. Your fridge has to be above 40 degrees or the pupae won't make it. I've killed 2 batches of pupae that way


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## Rick (Aug 18, 2010)

Laura G said:


> I wanted to mention one other thing that I've had trouble with myself. Your fridge has to be above 40 degrees or the pupae won't make it. I've killed 2 batches of pupae that way


Dang. Raise that a bit and save some money!


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## LauraMG (Aug 18, 2010)

Rick said:


> Dang. Raise that a bit and save some money!


 :lol: I have now! I didn't realize because it's an apartment fridge! What a waste....


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## LauraMG (Aug 18, 2010)

Rick said:


> Dang. Raise that a bit and save some money!


 :lol: I have now! I didn't realize because it's an apartment fridge! What a waste....


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## hibiscusmile (Aug 18, 2010)

:blink: I'm seeing double


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## LauraMG (Aug 18, 2010)

hibiscusmile said:


> :blink: I'm seeing double


 :lol: No, you're seeing just fine. I'm just an idiot today!


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## mantisboybrandon (Aug 24, 2010)

Hmm what i usually do with my housefly-eating small mantids is get a common small-mesh net and net the ones outside. Its a lot cheaper and the net can be used to catch butterflies and moths later on. Is there not that many natural flies out there that you can catch? I also used to use fly swatters to "stun" the flies while still keeping them alive. Idk, not entirely on subject but just sharing another option you may have instead of having to order larva ^_^


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## paddythemic (Aug 24, 2010)

I decided to keep the pupae in the fridge (40 degrees).

Every two days I take out 5 and put them in a new tiny container in the bathroom; so I can establish a rotation where a small "handleable" amount is ready to use. (no refridgeration or freezing necessary to stun them).

TWO QUESTIONS:

Approximately how long will that batch of pupae in the fridge last until they won't be able to hatch anymore?

Will a rotation method be unreliable? (will hatch time become too unpredictable?)


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## Ghostie (Aug 25, 2010)

I like to use water crystals instead of water with wood chips in it. This way I don't kill any flies.  More live longer this way.

Before there would always be some dead in the water cup no matter what I used as anti-drowning material. If flies get ANY water on their legs or wings, they wont fly and they die.

Water crystals can be had on ebay for $3 shipped to your door for like 2 gallons worth of crystals. I take one fair pinch of crystals and hydrate them in a small cup and dump them in the same hole int he fly container that I let the flies out when I feed them off.

Also I add new water crystals and food every two or three days when I have on of Rebeccas' large fly hatching deli cups full of flies. They live much longer like this than allowing their water and food supplies to dry up and run out. I add the food and water crystals through the hole I get the flies through, even with a full cup of flies, without releasing any.

For food I am using the blend from Mantis Place.

I found one of the best tricks to keep them alive longer is to prevent cannibalism by making sure they ALWAYS have food and water crystals.

I have held pupae in the fridge for a week with successful hatching afterward. Never tried longer yet.


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## Rick (Aug 25, 2010)

Ghostie said:


> I like to use water crystals instead of water with wood chips in it. This way I don't kill any flies.  More live longer this way.
> 
> Before there would always be some dead in the water cup no matter what I used as anti-drowning material. If flies get ANY water on their legs or wings, they wont fly and they die.
> 
> ...


Almost everything you mentioned here is not needed. All they need for food/water is honey. The pupa last over a month in the fridge for me. Cannibalism? Pretty sure flies don't eat one another.

Paddythemic: only five? I take out enough so that when they eclose I have enough flies for at least a week.

I don't know, you guys seem to make this so much harder than it has to be


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## paddythemic (Aug 25, 2010)

Rick said:


> Almost everything you mentioned here is not needed. All they need for food/water is honey. The pupa last over a month in the fridge for me. Cannibalism? Pretty sure flies don't eat one another.
> 
> Paddythemic: only five? I take out enough so that when they eclose I have enough flies for at least a week.
> 
> I don't know, you guys seem to make this so much harder than it has to be


cool, if they last for a month i will continue doing it this way. i will also be upping the quantity of flies per container.


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## Rick (Aug 26, 2010)

paddythemic said:


> cool, if they last for a month i will continue doing it this way. i will also be upping the quantity of flies per container.


It may vary depending on your fridge temps. At that length of time you do get a lower hatch rate as time goes by. But like I said, I take out enough flies for at least a few feedings of every mantis. The flies live a long time too.


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## Ghostie (Aug 26, 2010)

Rick said:


> Cannibalism? Pretty sure flies don't eat one another.
> 
> I don't know, you guys seem to make this so much harder than it has to be


From what I have noticed is when they run out of food/water they start getting holes in wings and stop flying and start to "annoy" each other and shortly after die off. Just an observation but may not be what is actually happening.

Al I know is that if I add water crystals and this fly food, they last a good while alive in a deli cup.  

They all pile around and indulge in the water crystals.

I know you have much more experience than me though so I'm sure you are right. This is just what I have experienced so far in my short time in the hobby.


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## angelofdeathzz (Aug 28, 2010)

I take out 40-50 bb pupae every 5 days or so ,put them in a shallow 32oz with a small 2oz cup of water 1/3 full w/ a broke in 1/2 plastic spoon so they can get out if they fall in, and a large 1oz bottle cap filled with a honey80% and bee pollen20% mix. it has a hole w/ foam stopper that I remove and quickly put a upside down ff bottle over it and wait 30-40 sec. to fill with 5-6 flies then its feeding time without any refrigeration needed. works very well for me and is quite easy,I've had flies fall in the water when they were put in the fridge, plus picking up every fly with tongs gets old quick.


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## Ghostie (Aug 28, 2010)

I have also found refrigerating live flies unnecessary using my sisters' fly transfer techniques. (Thanks sis!)

With a cup full of flies you put a hole in it with a foam stopper. When you need one, remove the foam stopper and put a 1/4oz cup over the hole and wait for a fly to fly in. Then slide the cup to the side and cover the hole back up with the foam stopper. Lift the cup my sliding a piece of paper under it and you have a fly in a tiny cup and no escapees.

Now you just put this tiny cup over your mantis cage hole and in it goes for din din.


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## paddythemic (Aug 28, 2010)

Very cool. I like the single serving and nonrefrigeration aspects!


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## Rick (Aug 28, 2010)

You guys have the strangest ways of doing this. I know I sound like a broken record but it seems everybody wants to do it the hard way. You guys talking about water dishes, spoons, taking one fly out at a time are crazy. They don't need water or anything fancy. Just a squirt of honey everyday. If flies were as much trouble as you people make it out to be I would have left this hobby a long time ago. I guess i'll just sit here and shake my head at the craziness that is this thread.


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## LauraMG (Aug 28, 2010)

Rick said:


> You guys have the strangest ways of doing this. I know I sound like a broken record but it seems everybody wants to do it the hard way. You guys talking about water dishes, spoons, taking one fly out at a time are crazy. They don't need water or anything fancy. Just a squirt of honey everyday. If flies were as much trouble as you people make it out to be I would have left this hobby a long time ago. I guess i'll just sit here and shake my head at the craziness that is this thread.


 :lol: I picture Rick as an old man with his arms crossed and shaking his head at "kids these days". Ha! However, that being said, I use 2 cups, put pupae in one to hatch, slap it in the fridge when I'm ready, let 'em sit until there's a good amount on the lid, then switch the lids and go freezer bound with the catch. They wake up too quickly out of the fridge, but a minute in the freezer and they're all out until everyone's fed. And I use honey


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## Ghostie (Aug 28, 2010)

I don't need to take out any more than one fly at a time when I only have one mantis per cup.

Accept for in my gongy cage then I just open the fly cup lid and let a bunch out into the net cage.

A 12x12 net cage full of house flies sounds like a nightmare to me.

I had not heard anything about feeding them honey until now.

Being new has it's drawbacks..


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## paddythemic (Aug 28, 2010)

Ghostie said:


> I don't need to take out any more than one fly at a time when I only have one mantis per cup.
> 
> Accept for in my gongy cage then I just open the fly cup lid and let a bunch out into the net cage.
> 
> ...


The 12x12 net is indeed a nightmare. I like your method because my girlfriend will have puppies if I put live flies in the fridge or freezer.

Therefore - I need a good method to move flies from the container to the habitat.

I also agree that the woodchips and water et al is too much of a hassle. Simpler is best.


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## angelofdeathzz (Aug 28, 2010)

Rick said:


> You guys have the strangest ways of doing this. I know I sound like a broken record but it seems everybody wants to do it the hard way. You guys talking about water dishes, spoons, taking one fly out at a time are crazy. They don't need water or anything fancy. Just a squirt of honey everyday. If flies were as much trouble as you people make it out to be I would have left this hobby a long time ago. I guess i'll just sit here and shake my head at the craziness that is this thread.


No water? I always see the flies drinking the water... and munching down the pollen honey mix! If the flies are hydrated then I know my Gongys are getting water content that they won't drink on there own, since they never drink at all.


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## Rick (Aug 29, 2010)

angelofdeathzz said:


> No water? I always see the flies drinking the water... and munching down the pollen honey mix! If the flies are hydrated then I know my Gongys are getting water content that they won't drink on there own, since they never drink at all.


I never said they didn't drink water. I am saying you don't need to give them seperate water and food. They can get water from their food. It would take far too long to get one fly out of cup at a time by the method posted. I prefer to just put what I need into the freezer to slow them down and then stand in front of my enclosures and pick the flies out with long tweezers.

And Laura, I am not old, just efficient.


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## Ghostie (Aug 29, 2010)

If you have a cup of 50-100 flies, one pops out the hole into the transfer cup within seconds.

I don't imagine it would be much faster to wait for them to get cold lethargic then dish them out one at a time.

I don't like flies in my fridge anyways. Pupae is bad enough. :lol: 

"More than one way to skin a cat."

If what we do is way harder than how you do it, it shows our dedication.


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## LauraMG (Aug 29, 2010)

Rick said:


> And Laura, I am not old, just efficient.


Oh, I know! Just the mental picture I get  Thing is, I'm the same way. I want as few steps as possible and as much simplicity as possible.


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## Rick (Aug 29, 2010)

Laura G said:


> Oh, I know! Just the mental picture I get  Thing is, I'm the same way. I want as few steps as possible and as much simplicity as possible.


The good ole mental picture you get of people on message boards. I know what you mean.

Reminds me of an acronym we had in the military; KISS. Keep it Simple Stupid.


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## angelofdeathzz (Aug 29, 2010)

wow, now I think me and Ghostie were just called stupid! this is not the military its just mantid talk, not everybody is the same in there ways nor should they be. Isn't beind right 99% of the time enough for you or does it have to be 100%, I know your the administrator and part time sheriff but come on your words are almost always so belittling and boarderline insulting. yes you have way more mantis knowlegde than most of us but in my opinion you could light'n up alittle, not try'n to pee in your koolaid just speaking my mind .


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## Precarious (Aug 29, 2010)

All yall peoplez is crazy! I just open all my windows and smear dog poop on the walls. I then let the mantids loose so they can eat the flies.

If you do it any other way you should seek psychiatric help because you are wasting time and energy. If you don't like dog poop on the walls you should find another hobby, loser. :wacko: 

But seriously, everyone has their own methods. There is no one right way since we all have different numbers of pets, etc. Do what works best for you and your situation.

Personally, I don't deal with pupae at all. I put a 32 oz. deli cup over some dog manure swarming with flies. The flies fly up, I lift the cup and slide the lid on. No joke, I catch 15-30 bb flies at a time with this method. Works like a charm.

 :wub: 

I then dip a bamboo skewer into organic unfiltered honey, slip it under the lid and deposit the honey on the underside. You can do this in advance too. I just blow in the opening and the flies stay clear. I feed the flies this way once a day and mist with water once or twice a day. They can last a long time on honey and water. I load them up with good food for at least a day before feeding to my mantids.

I keep the cups upside down on a paper towel so the frass doesn't built up in the cup and so any excess water drains out so the flies don't drown.  

And that's that. Refrigerate and distribute as needed.

That's what works best for me. If you don't like it do it your own way! :angry: 

( Hey, you kids! Get off my lawn! That's MY dog poop! &gt; :wheelchair:


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## paddythemic (Sep 13, 2010)

How long before you guys give up on a room-temp batch of pupae that doesn't hatch?


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