# I have a dumb question about fruit flies



## PlayingMantis (Nov 16, 2013)

Ok...I've never worked with fruit flies before. I just got a D. melanogestor culture and it is literally crawling with FF's. I read up on how to take care of the culture, etc., but I have one really dumb question...how do I get say, 5-10 flies out of bottle, without the rest escaping?

Here is a picture of the camera pointing down at the top of the bottle, backlit from the bottom. As you can see, there are hundreds of flies crawling around on the wire mesh of the lid, and they're moving pretty quickly. I am afraid the moment I unscrew the lid, the bugs will all come crawling out. Am I supposed to give the bottle a few hard knocks so they drop to the bottom? Or turn it upside down or...? Or put it in the fridge for a few min (but will that hurt the flies?)?


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## sally (Nov 16, 2013)

I knock the side and open just a crack over the container and snap the lid back on fast. Also get the lid on your mantis back on fast cause the flies climb really fast. I like that way better than a sponge stopper. There are some good threads about this predicament


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## Toxic (Nov 16, 2013)

I put mine in a tall jar with mesh lid n a couple of vents on the side for air flow. With it being tall it takes a few seconds for them to clim to the top. I knock them all down put a small cup inside the tall jar (cup with a lid works best). Put the mesh back on the jar wait a couple of mins until a few have climed up then knock them down. Some will fall into the cup. I then quickly remove the mesh n get the cup out put the lid on the cup n replace the mesh on the fruitflies jar. Then I take a few ff into each mantis home.

Hope this makes sense.


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## Rick (Nov 16, 2013)

Very easy. I raise them in 32 oz insect cups with a small hole in the side that is plugged with a foam plug. This method is much easier than removing the main lid which is just inviting disaster. I then take one of those small fruit fly vials and stand it upright with a small funnel inside. Take the culture, remove the plug and tap flies into the funnel. It takes some practice and plenty of tapping on the cup and funnel to make sure none escape. Once I get the amount I want in the vial I replace the foam plug in the main culture and put another foam plug in the vial after removing the funnel. Now I have a small container of flies I can easily disperse into mantid containers (32 oz cup with same hole and foam plug) using the funnel. I lose very few flies.


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## dlemmings (Nov 16, 2013)

i will set the culture inside the fridge for 10 minutes, they get less active and then tap the culture down and then tap a few into a smaller (16oz) deli cup until i get desired amount. then feeding time with funnel onto delicups with mantids inside...they often eat more than you think they would and sometimes less.


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## Extrememantid (Nov 16, 2013)

Put them in the fridge to cool down.. While your doing that get a plastic cup or red solo cup and put Vaseline or some sort of "wax" around the rim of the cup add the flies and then pour them in the enclosure. This would work best if their flightless.

I ment flightless! Lol


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## Rick (Nov 17, 2013)

The fridge method isn't necessary with my technique.


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## devetaki9 (Nov 18, 2013)

Rick said:


> Very easy. I raise them in 32 oz insect cups with a small hole in the side that is plugged with a foam plug. This method is much easier than removing the main lid which is just inviting disaster. I then take one of those small fruit fly vials and stand it upright with a small funnel inside. Take the culture, remove the plug and tap flies into the funnel. It takes some practice and plenty of tapping on the cup and funnel to make sure none escape. Once I get the amount I want in the vial I replace the foam plug in the main culture and put another foam plug in the vial after removing the funnel. Now I have a small container of flies I can easily disperse into mantid containers (32 oz cup with same hole and foam plug) using the funnel. I lose very few flies.


Rick that sounds like a great idea, do you convert the deli cups on your own and how? Just cut a hole or use a dremel tool etc?


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## Rick (Nov 18, 2013)

devetaki9 said:


> Rick that sounds like a great idea, do you convert the deli cups on your own and how? Just cut a hole or use a dremel tool etc?


Yes. Same ones I use for mantids. I just use a razor blade and cut a square hole.


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## devetaki9 (Nov 18, 2013)

Ty!


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