# Wild caught house flies



## Litleape (Jul 31, 2011)

My mantids are greedily eating house flies every other day. I have found that I can't really keep up with them. The house fly pupae that I have have stopped hatching so I have been catching all my flies myself outside. The question I have is if the flies are eating dog poop, will the bacteria harm my mantises when they eat them? Just a quick question. Thanks!


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## PhilinYuma (Jul 31, 2011)

Litleape said:


> My mantids are greedily eating house flies every other day. I have found that I can't really keep up with them. The house fly pupae that I have have stopped hatching so I have been catching all my flies myself outside. The question I have is if the flies are eating dog poop, will the bacteria harm my mantises when they eat them? Just a quick question. Thanks!


No problem. Mantids have a clever little sieve in their tummies called the peritrophic membrane that acts like the mucus membrane in our own guts and filters out the bacteria. Actually, insects are more likely to be attacked by viruses and fungi than bacteria.


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## Litleape (Jul 31, 2011)

Thanks!


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## Termite48 (Aug 1, 2011)

See below not a duplicate.


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## Termite48 (Aug 1, 2011)

Rich S said:


> Regarding wild caught flies, you posed a good question which was answered by Phil. I want to add that if such a diet of wild blow flies and such as one can catch outside, were to be detrimental to mantids, mine would, by now, show some ill effects. I always resort to such foolishness when my pupae quit eclosing for some reason every batch I get. There is no reason for it as the conditions do not change and one day there are no more flies, just a bunch of pupae. What I have done is to dedicate one of my net cages to eclosed BB flies and therefore I am ahead by a few days. I gut load these flies with honey water and the fly food that one can buy. Then as this supply dwindles before my eyes and I suppliment with houseflies, I get an order together for some more BB pupae. There is a good pictured thread on this from a week or two back by a member, Sporeworld and augmented by Rebecca of Mantisplace. Check it out. http://mantidforum.n...showtopic=21016 Warpdrive, Philinyuma, and a few others are very good at figuring out how to feed flies to mantids and manage the process. I am a little lost still.


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## angelofdeathzz (Aug 1, 2011)

In the wild they would eat flies from poop, carrion(dead animals)which is full of nasties, or where ever they came from. Catch flies and feed your babies, and don't worry it's safe.  

I'm sure Phil can give us much better answer that would include many longer word's and more brain cells to process, mine is more "plain english".  :tt2: :lol:


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## PhilinYuma (Aug 2, 2011)

angelofdeathzz said:


> In the wild they would eat flies from poop, carrion(dead animals)which is full of nasties, or where ever they came from. Catch flies and feed your babies, and don't worry it's safe.
> 
> I'm sure Phil can give us much better answer that would include many longer word's and more brain cells to process, mine is more "plain english".  :tt2: :lol:


You're a great guy, Angel, and I think the world of you, (and by now you should know that you are in deep shist) so it's not your fault that I am seriously allergic to the phrase "plain English". As soon as Tucker saw me punch the wall (made of bricks) and pick up the 2x4, he muttered something about "not 'plain English', again", so I took my medication (morphine does wonders, but you need a prescription) and will stick to a purely verbal examination of "plain English".

I was rather proud that I used the term "tummies" instead of mid gut, though that would have been more accurate, but what is "peritrophic membrane" in "plain English"? How about "the sack made of a material like what you find in beetle's wing cases that acts as a strainer that allows some of the useful foods out of that part of the food tract while keeping larger bits, like bacteria and sharp or gritty stuff in so that they won't hurt the stomach lining"/.Isn't it quicker to say "peritrophic membrane"?

If you have served or played any warfare simulation games, you will probably have heard of a "choke point". My local marines love to drop it into the conversation, but there is an amusing error in Wikipedia where they talk about the Royal Navy's use of "choke points" in areas like the Straits of Gibraltar and the English Channel. No they didn't, they used the plain English, "bottleneck" but no one in the U.S. military would think of using that term.

My local team, the AZ Cardinals has a new quarterback. You may remember that last November he received a large fine for a move that his predecessor McNabb had probably taught him, the horse collar foul. We know what that is, but what is it in plain English, please?

Did you watch the Tour de France? Every day, the leaders would try to stay ahead of the hungry peleton. I think that in plain English, that is "pill" Doesn't help much, does it?

O.k., thanks, I feel better now!


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## d17oug18 (Aug 2, 2011)

you do know that mantis can go like a week without food right? I personally don't like the idea of feeding a mantis till its "full", because they would certainly not live like that in the wild, would they? To me, its just not a natural thought. Its probably just me, but i like to feed mine like once a week, never lost a mantis due to starvation. GUT loading a mantis with food till its fat is just... i dont know lol... im weird like that =P


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## sppc9876 (Aug 2, 2011)

I currently have had a green bottle fly infestation in my house. I've resisted the tempting urge to vacuum all of them up and manually caught all of around 10 flies. My Sphodros are quite happy and munching away. I don't think it's a problem. Now how do I catch those super big bluebottles outside now.... they are seriously 3/4 in big!!! I think they are mexican cactus flies.


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## angelofdeathzz (Aug 2, 2011)

@sppc9876: Use a $2.00 aquarium net, there fine mesh and work great, if you have a dog it helps


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## angelofdeathzz (Aug 2, 2011)

@Phil: Now we know NOT to press the "in plain english button", sorry I forgot Poor Tucker he had to sit there and watch you go all "Hulk Smash", I do hope he came out from under the bed by now? :lol:  

"Peri trophic membrane" is by far the best way for it to be said !!!


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## mkayum (Aug 11, 2011)

Such relief! Whew!  

I used my cat's  to catch over 50 Blue bottle flies... -_- It's little gross.

But I'm glad that flies eating poop wont harm my mantis! I put pure honey on paper towel to gutload them. I think it'd be okay. ^_^


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## Mex_Ghost (Aug 14, 2011)

I think the only concern in wild flies is pesticides (not sure the right spell, I miss my friend google  )


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## MandellaMandy123 (Aug 14, 2011)

The only thing I feed my mantids is wild flies, and the occasional store cricket. They've thrived off of that diet for years. I wouldn't worry about bacteria or pesticides...


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## Termite48 (Oct 23, 2011)

Regarding wild caught flies: You can actually harvest their pupae and hatch them if you play your cards right. I am sorry I cannot find anything but plain English for the method I use, it will be too gross.


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## meaganelise9 (Oct 23, 2011)

I have a lot of flies in my laundry room, but I'm uneasy about catching them and using them as food because I don't know if they're eating laundry detergent (derp). Thoughts?


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## gripen (Oct 23, 2011)

people worry to much about where a fly has been. as long as it is not grogy than it is fine.


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## meaganelise9 (Oct 23, 2011)

Haha just like a parent... worrying too much.


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## PhilinYuma (Oct 23, 2011)

meaganelise9 said:


> I have a lot of flies in my laundry room, but I'm uneasy about catching them and using them as food because I don't know if they're eating laundry detergent (derp). Thoughts?


They'll be the cleanest flies in town!


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