# So...how do I start breeding blue bottle flies?



## Meadow98684

It'd be a lot cheaper to just start raising them myself. So...how do I start? Any thing I need to know before I get starterd? (I left some sliced ham outside today in an open jar, hopefully thats good.


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## ShieldMantid1997

No need imo( breeding), what i used to do was leave raw chicken outside, go back next day and collect the spikes

Then let those spikes pupate and bam!

The reason i say no need is also because their breeding needs smell AWFUL

Just a suggestion


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## agent A

they like rotting cat food


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## patrickfraser

I use dog food. Chunky Pedigree with beef and liver is a blue bottle favorite. :chef:


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## agent A

patrickfraser said:


> I use dog food. Chunky Pedigree with beef and liver is a blue bottle favorite. :chef:


2 questions:

1: how much is it?

2: how much do i need?


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## Termite48

ShieldMantid1997: When you go to collect the larvae or spikes from the chicken, where are the spikes? Are they crawling all over the outside of the chicken?


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## patrickfraser

$1.09 a can where I shop and I start with 10-15 chunks for laying. Once eggs are laid and hatch I add more when the maggots make the chunky turn mushy.


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## Meadow98684

Hehe I forgot to put that I added a little catfood and some milk with that ham...tripple wammy! So what do the eggs look like and where will they be so I know if I'm succesful? Thanks for ther answers guys, much appreciated.


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## patrickfraser

The eggs will be a mass of white or cream color on the food. I'll post what mine look like today.

This is a newer batch with fresh eggs circled (if photobucket updated...)and you can see small maggots around the chunky food.







And this is another batch slightly older, but you can see the bigger maggots, no eggs, and the chunky is getting mushy.





​


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## agent A

patrickfraser said:


> The eggs will be a mass of white or cream color on the food. I'll post what mine look like today.
> 
> This is a newer batch with fresh eggs circled (if photobucket updated...)and you can see small maggots around the chunky food.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And this is another batch slightly older, but you can see the bigger maggots, no eggs, and the chunky is getting mushy.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ​


looks like my toilet after i take a   :clown: :clown: :tt2: :tt2:


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## patrickfraser

Lay off the laxatives, Karen. :lol:


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## agent A

patrickfraser said:


> Lay off the laxatives, Karen. :lol:


i'm not karen :lol:


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## patrickfraser

agent A said:


> i'm not karen :lol:


Never mind. You're probably too young to have heard of the Carpenters. Rainy Days and Mondays Always Get Me Down? She died from anorexia and was rumored to have abused laxatives to help with weight loss. She is world famous and from my hometown of Downey. I probably even sat in some of the same classrooms she did, as we both attended Downey High. At different times, of course.


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## agent A

patrickfraser said:


> Never mind. You're probably too young to have heard of the Carpenters. Rainy Days and Mondays Get Me Down? She died from anorexia and was rumored to have abused laxatives to help with weight loss. She is world famous and from my hometown of Downey. I probably even sat in some of the same classrooms she did, as we both attended Downey High. At different times, of course.


unlike u i am gonna be 16 tomorrow, not 61 :tt2:


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## patrickfraser

soon enough...soon enough...


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## agent A

patrickfraser said:


> soon enough...soon enough...


u wish :lol: 

just messin with u  

have u ever reared soldier flies??


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## Meadow98684

Thanks for posting what they look like, kind sir.


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## young1

great idea

I have been trying to save money on flies also, I never thought about catching them lol

thanks!

thanks for the pics too, very helpful!


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## angelofdeathzz

One question, how do you put up with the smell? Do you keep them outside, will the heat(85-95) kill them if left in the shade? I want to raise my own but last time I tried the smell put a abrupt halt to it all! inch: It was the real "death warmed over" scent, one worst smells I ever experianced... I used canned pet food in a deli.


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## patrickfraser

I spent a year in Korea. I'm used to bad smells. This is "not so bad" compared to other scents that have assaulted my olfactories through the years. :lol: I believe it has to do with sensory perception. I now associate the "bad" smell with "good" results and the smell doesn't seem to be of much affect.


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## angelofdeathzz

Duly noted, but have you ever left it outside or would the heat kill them(eggs/maggots) if left in some shade?


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## patrickfraser

I *definitely* keep them outside. I have a shed that I keep them in. I leave the doors open, as if they were closed it would become an oven in there and kill them.


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## dlemmings

I have sloppy teenagers and come sunday when we pull out the trash bin I often come accross maggots crawling from under trash bin...I collect them and put them in a container to pupate, then fridge some and let the others eclose...gives a nice mix of smaller housefly and medium green bottles. I dont seem to get blue bottles this way but have a steady supply of BB since I buy spikes which keep well in the fridge.

there are plenty of threads on this subject and a number of members have provided nice pics and tips...patrickfrazer in particular is always helpful and has been providing the same rearing advise for the year I have been doing this so he must have it about dialed in...do what he says and I'm sure there will be success!


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## garin33

Patrick, excellent photos and great information regarding harvesting blue bottle flys.

Sorry if this is a dumb question but I'm a newbie.

Instead of going through alot of trouble collecting flys and the smell, etc., couldn't you just feed the mantids mealworms? Or do flys provide a nutritional benefit that mealworms don't. There has been alot of discussion about flys on this forum so I am assuming there are certain positives that feeding flys to mantids have over other foods.

Thank you for any information.


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## patrickfraser

garin33 said:


> Patrick, excellent photos and great information regarding harvesting blue bottle flys.
> 
> Sorry if this is a dumb question but I'm a newbie.
> 
> Instead of going through alot of trouble collecting flys and the smell, etc., couldn't you just feed the mantids mealworms? Or do flys provide a nutritional benefit that mealworms don't. There has been alot of discussion about flys on this forum so I am assuming there are certain positives that feeding flys to mantids have over other foods.
> 
> Thank you for any information.


Sure they can eat mealworms. My reasoning for doing this is COST. I can't remember the last time I purchased feeders. I am cheap and hate to spend money. When you figure in shipping costs it gets expensive over time. I am saving tons of money, because I have A LOT of hungry mouths to feed.

This is my latest batch from last night. I took 2 pictures. The second pic shows them dispersing due to the flash. They like it dark. I got a BIG batch brewing.


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## garin33

I can definitely understand your point regarding cost, it can really start to add up.

Wow, that is an amazing amount of larvae from one batch! So after the flys lay their eggs and the larvae hatch, you put the cover on the deli cup or whatever you are using and wait for the flys to pupate. How long does it take approximately for the whole process? (Putting out the dog food out and eventually the flys hatching)

Another newbie question. I have never fed flies to mantids before, just fruit flys so far since they are nymphs. Is it difficult to get a few flies from your fly container into each individual mantis container? I would assume that the flys would immediately start to fly out when you opened their container. Just wondering if there is a trick to it.

Thanks again, some great closeups.


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## patrickfraser

The "mags" were in something like the size of a medium sour cream container. I have dumped them into a large 10 gallon bucket, added more dog food, and put them into a large trashcan with corn meal at the bottom. They grow pretty quick with the warm weather we've been having. I have never tracked the actual time it takes. I just make sure that I have all stages working. I am currently on my last batch of flies with no pupae.  My dad closed the shed on my last batch brewing and killed them with the heat. ARGH! Now I'm playing catch up, but hopefully I won't be too long without flies. Oh well, that's why I have dubias, hissers, and silkworms. Always something to eat. Also in a pinch, when out of flies, I can feed mags if I have to. The praying mantis like them, too. When put into their cup, if they don't go for them, I will spritz with water and the mags will climb the inside of the cup and get snagged.


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## patrickfraser

WHOAH! Check out my bucket from today!


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## aNisip

Quick question, I did this once but when I tried to collect the pupae, they never hatched...any tips on how to get them to eclose successfully and then hatch? .....and nice 5 gallong bucket there are probably at least a thousand mags...


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## patrickfraser

I will collect the mags before they pupate, as they last longer in the fridge. I take out a batch of mags and will leave them at room temp until they pupate. I then let them sit out until I see the first fly or two pop out. Then it's back in the fridge until I need them. Then I just take them out and they hatch very quickly. They pupate at different rates and they will hatch accordingly. But usually 1 batch will all hatch within a week. The only problem I've had with pupae not hatching was when I had an invasion of parasitic wasps that must have laid eggs in the pupae. Each affected pupae hatched out like 5 or 6 tiny wasps of some sort. I din't feel like messing with them and didn't want to get any more of them, so I microwaved them. That'll teach them to mess with my production. :lol:


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## Paradoxica

So is there no way to make a medium that doesn't use meat? I thought I heard something about yeast and dried dog treats? Anyone tried this?


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## patrickfraser

I used to use the dry dog food moistened with water, but I find this works a lot better and produces way more.


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## garin33

Wow, that is one amazing pile of maggots! That's incredible. How long have you been collecting them?


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## Paradoxica

patrickfraser said:


> I used to use the dry dog food moistened with water, but I find this works a lot better and produces way more.


How was the odor with the dry food? I don't have a backyard to keep it in so I would gladly trade productivity for a less foul aroma.


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## patrickfraser

It wasn't something I kept indoors, but the odor was less than my current regimen.


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## Paradoxica

I was thinking on my patio but it's right next to my window so I don't want anything too bad. U just used dry food and water?


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## nebrakacinese

So how do you know when the spikes are big enough?I think i'll wait awhile before I cook dinner!!!!!


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## patrickfraser

The spikes will leave the medium and climb the side of the bucket. When they get to the top, they fall out into a trashcan with corn meal at the bottom. The corn meal wicks them dry. They usually do this in the cool of the night. In the morning I sift out as much corn meal as I can, put most of the maggots in the fridge for keeping, and keep out a batch for pupating. The sifted corn meal just gets reused and thrown back into the trashcan. It looks like they might be making the exodus tonight.

Here's a pic. You can see that they are pretty big now and also starting to climbi the bucket.


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## angelofdeathzz

Looks like mouth popping gush-a-licous bowl of beans and rice. :chef: 

But seriously you made it seem very simple, thanks man!


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## patrickfraser

It happened. A lot of them made their way out last night and more were still coming this morning.

Here you can see the trails left and some on the move. There are still a lot more to come out.







Here you can see the bucket and the inside of the trashcan holding the corn meal with the new maggots,


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## sueb4653

I put dog food outside today to try my hand at getting some flies, guess we will see how it goes


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## sueb4653

haha I checked my dog food today and I have tiny maggots and lots of flies in and out, question is how long now do I have until they try to crawl out?


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## patrickfraser

They will make the move when it's time. Depending on temps 3-5 days once they really get going. My batch has just about finished and I have a net cage of blue bottles laying eggs in some new dog food now. I have a batch pupated and waiting to hatch, some fresh mags out of the fridge to pupate, and a butt load of mags in the refrigerator. Only problem is I have no flies to feed!


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## sueb4653

do you use a separate fridge nline2long: don;t know what hubby would think of maggots in the fridge :gun_bandana: lol thats him shooting me LOL


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## patrickfraser

If you don't keep them in the fridge you will have A LOT of unneeded flies. I just hatch out what's needed.

OH...I have a drawer in the refrigerator reserved for feeders.


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## sueb4653

when they pupate how long are they good for if you keep them in the fridge vs maggots in the fridge?


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## patrickfraser

Here is what I have going.

These are the maggots collected so far. There are more to come, but this is what is "chilling" in the salad drawer for now. :lol: 











These are the maggots pupating. Once I catch a hatch or 2, these go in the fridge. When I need flies, I know these will hatch fast and just take them out of the fridge and into the net cage.






These are the pupae waiting to hatch in a pyramid net cage.






These are the last flies I have from previous crop. These are laying eggs on dog food (and shrimp!).






Once the eggs are laid, it's back to the first pics and the cycle is complete.

So...You see how I could not hatch all these at once. I guess it just depends on what kind of "crop" you get. I might even sell some spikes and pupae to pay for the dog food used. FREE FEEDERS!


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## patrickfraser

sueb4653 said:


> when they pupate how long are they good for if you keep them in the fridge vs maggots in the fridge?


I believe the maggots or "spikes" keep for up to 2 months in the fridge.

The pupae are good for about 2 weeks in the fridge.

It's a balancing act, but if I end up with too many flies, I have a pair of chameleons that love to gobble them up.


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## sueb4653

you must have alot of mouths to feed cause that sure is alot of maggots pupae and flies


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## patrickfraser

sueb4653 said:


> you must have alot of mouths to feed cause that sure is alot of maggots pupae and flies


TOO MANY! :lol:


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## sueb4653

So here's my little experiment to produce flies, I have maggots  hubby thinks I'm absolutly crazy with the whole bug thing LOL


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## twolfe

patrickfraser said:


> Here is what I have going.
> 
> These are the maggots collected so far. There are more to come, but this is what is "chilling" in the salad drawer for now. :lol:


Wow! That is a lot of larvae! If I tried that here, I'm sure the critters outside would raid the pile.


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## aNisip

I'm trying to culture blowflies, since they are a little bigger than bbs...they love shrimp and the dog food


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## angelofdeathzz

patrickfraser said:


> TOO MANY! :lol:


My wife would kill me! or fill my shoe with some... :lol:


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## Saebjorn9

So I see a lot of pictures of maggots in what look like plastic bins. I just ordered some blue bottles and they came in a little plastic salad dressing sauce cup like you get alongside your salad in a restaurant. They're all just crammed in there. I have them in the refrigerator to slow them down so I can open the lid and take some out while they're still chilled from the cold. Yet this can't be how I do it every time, how do you guys store the flies to make sure they don't all escape when you go to remove a few for feeding? I was thinking of going to home depot and building a cage of sorts with wood and some mesh screen as the top lid, but maybe you guys know how to store them better!


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## Crazy4mantis

patrickfraser said:


> Sure they can eat mealworms. My reasoning for doing this is COST. I can't remember the last time I purchased feeders. I am cheap and hate to spend money. When you figure in shipping costs it gets expensive over time. I am saving tons of money, because I have A LOT of hungry mouths to feed.
> 
> This is my latest batch from last night. I took 2 pictures. The second pic shows them dispersing due to the flash. They like it dark. I got a BIG batch brewing.


is that a piece of kimchi in the medium? :huh:


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## Norlin

shrimp tail


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## sueb4653

SCORE look at all the eggs I have got today plus another batch going with maggots and some maggots in the fridge (shuuuushhh cant say that to loud. :clown:


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## Mime454

This is really gross, but I need some flies. How do you get the maggots out of the dog food? You certainly don't use your hands.


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## sueb4653

Start from the beginning of this thread it explains all


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## patrickfraser

Looks like a good batch. Do you have GB and BB going together? I keep them separate if I have both going, but I stick mainly with BB.


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## sueb4653

I have the culture in the greenhouse and whatever lands in there gets to breed

bad to do?


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## patrickfraser

Not bad if you don't mind a mix. I don't care for the GB and focus mainly on the BB as they are larger. I keep them in net cages for breeding and keeping the GB away.


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## sueb4653

dont have any net cages so kinda wingin it


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## patrickfraser

If it works, work it! :lol:


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## sueb4653

work it! work it! work it!


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## patrickfraser

WORK IT! FEEL IT! OWN IT! :clap: (HEY! WHERE'D MY POM POMS GO?) :lol:


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## stacy

didnt have corn meal so i ground up corn flakes lol.. wonder how that will work lmao


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## sueb4653

patrickfraser said:


> WORK IT! FEEL IT! OWN IT! :clap: (HEY! WHERE'D MY POM POMS GO?) :lol:


Oh I bet you'd look cute with pom poms ROFL


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## patrickfraser

sueb4653 said:


> Oh I bet you'd look cute with pom poms ROFL


Ever hear of the West Hollywood Cheerleaders? I'm the one with the BIG hair. :lol:


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## sueb4653

LOL

one note you have to have a strong stomach to do this ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww


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## stacy

sueb4653 said:


> LOL
> 
> one note you have to have a strong stomach to do this ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww


soo true


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## patrickfraser

A strong stomach.....OR a weak nose. :lol:


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## sueb4653

I hold my nose and breathe when I go near them :tank:


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## young1

thats an awesome setup patrick

props


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## Mime454

Do you think this would work on a smaller small with a 16 oz deli cup of dog food and a 80 cup of corn meal?


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## patrickfraser

It couldn't hurt to try.


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## fleurdejoo

How in the worlds did I miss this thread?

Well cool beans.


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## sueb4653

fleurdejoo said:


> How in the worlds did I miss this thread?
> 
> Well cool beans.


oh you will have fun doing this just keep your hubby at a far away distance LOL


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## fleurdejoo

I guess you can't really do this in the winter unless you have a heated shed.


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## patrickfraser

Production will slow down in winter with the colder weather, but California stays pretty nice most of the time. :cool2:


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## zack4211

agent A said:


> u wish :lol:
> 
> just messin with u
> 
> have u ever reared soldier flies??


if you go to petco you can buy about 40 or so pupae for a few bucks and the average lifespan of the adult soldier fly is about 8 days so and the time from larva to adult is about 3-4 weeks. take a knock at it if you wish


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## petoly

I got an interesting story,

I'm still working on my method to get my pupae. My first attempt apparently the flies didn't like the dog food and didn't lay one egg. I was bummed out. Now I live in an appartment complex and I keep my "food experiments" out in my teeny tiny patio. The garbage can is also out there. Next to the garbage can I had a bucket with a couple of inches of bone dry coconut fiber that was there from some previous project with one of my tanks. it's been there for a while....a couple of days ago I noticed maggots in there lol! sifted them out. got like 300. Today there are more maggots in there... I think the flies are laying their eggs in my trash and the spikes are crawling out and into the bucket lol


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## patrickfraser

Whatever works. :lol:


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## young1

whaat? maggots can last 2 months in the fridge? i know they slow down because of the temperature and all but don't they need some source of food? or is the fridge like a cryogenic freezer for mags?

:helpsmilie: one more question, are the flies ready for feeding after they hatch or do you let them hatch in the food container and leave them for a couple days?


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## patrickfraser

Just a regular refrigerator. :lol: The cold makes them go dormant and then you just take out what you need to pupate. I will feed mine honey and let them work on getting some meat on them before feeding. You can feed them freshly hatched as well, but I prefer them to grow a bit and work on their wing muscles for a more substantial feeder.


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## petoly

finally some success. I used raw chicken. Didn't really smell all that bad


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## patrickfraser

WOOT WOOT! :clap:


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## petoly

you know, I used to hate just the sight of maggots. let alone how they move. Now they don't even phase me lol.


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## patrickfraser

It is sometimes mesmerizing watching them. Call me crazy. :lol:


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## sinensispsyched

patrickfraser said:


> It is sometimes mesmerizing watching them. Call me crazy. :lol:


Maybe I will!


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## young1

thanks for the reply guru patrickfraser

:yinyang:


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## petoly

well here's something interesting I discovered =), if you let spikes leave the food prematurely, and you let them pupate prematurely, and then you let those pupae eclose, consistently all the flies that come out of the premature pupae have no wings. figured I would post that here.


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## sinensispsyched

Is that how flightless flies were created? Wicked trick!


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## Introvertebrate

Many mantids prefer flying feeders, but how much flying can a blue bottle really do within the confines of a mantis enclosure? Are houseflies/blue bottles typically caught by mantids in mid-flight, or are they caught while walking around on the inside of the enclosure? If they're caught while walking/climbing, you might as well use some agile non-flying feeders like lateralis roaches.


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## patrickfraser

The mantis will catch them any which way they can. :lol: I also raise hisser and dubia roaches. A varied diet is always a good thing.


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## Introvertebrate

My point is this. It's a fly's high activity level that attracts mantids, not the fact that they're actually flying. The confined space of a mantis enclosure will largely suppress a fly's flying instincts. What percentage of mantis catches actually occur in mid-flight, and what percentage occur while the fly is crawling on the inside of the glass? I'd guess maybe 5% flying, and 95% crawling.


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## patrickfraser

It actually _IS _the flying and the vibrations from it which the mantis picks up on "audibly". The movement certainly helps visually. So the percentage is purely dependent on the activity of the fly. So I'd venture to say 50/50. Are you asking "Why use BBs?". They work great for me.


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## Introvertebrate

Thanks for clarifying that Patrick.


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## Malakyoma

I'm not positive but I also heard that something about the nutritional ratios within flying insects is different, like they need more protein or fat or something to actually be able to fly, and that is why some mantids will become infertile without a flying insect diet, not enough of a certain nutritional element. Correct me if I'm wrong though.


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## petoly

I just discovered a medium that's odorless (well is smells lightly like hay) and should be an excellent gutload for mantises...GUINEA PIG POOP!

Granted this requires you knowing someone who has guinea pigs or owning guinea pigs, but this way you can control what the maggots are eating. a) guinea pigs are always eatting pollen rich hay and B) whatever fresh greens and fruit you give them. just don't feed them carrots very often if you intend to use their droppings as medium. I just mix it with a bit of water for moisture. You can also use guinea pig urine but that makes it a little stinky.

Advantage of this also is it's pretty darn odorless, so in the winter months you can still culture flies if you have to keep them indoors. without the smell of course =) and it's free...well for me it is. And if you own a guinea pig, just train it to use a litter box, they can be trained.


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## twolfe

petoly said:


> you know, I used to hate just the sight of maggots. let alone how they move. Now they don't even phase me lol.


Me too! When I was a kid, we had pet rabbits that we kept in cages outdoors. They would often poop in the corner of the hutch, and if we didn't clean it out in a timely manner, we would find maggots. I hated them. Back then I never would have imagined that some day I'd be handling them! The squirming used to creep me out, but now I see it and think success!


petoly said:


> I just discovered a medium that's odorless (well is smells lightly like hay) and should be an excellent gutload for mantises...GUINEA PIG POOP!
> 
> Granted this requires you knowing someone who has guinea pigs or owning guinea pigs, but this way you can control what the maggots are eating. a) guinea pigs are always eatting pollen rich hay and  B)  whatever fresh greens and fruit you give them. just don't feed them carrots very often if you intend to use their droppings as medium. I just mix it with a bit of water for moisture. You can also use guinea pig urine but that makes it a little stinky.
> 
> Advantage of this also is it's pretty darn odorless, so in the winter months you can still culture flies if you have to keep them indoors. without the smell of course =) and it's free...well for me it is. And if you own a guinea pig, just train it to use a litter box, they can be trained.


Nowadays my rabbits live indoors and use a litter box. Their droppings are probably similar to guinea pigs, but I'm curious what is wrong with feeding them carrots. My rabbits occasionally get baby carrots as treats, but they aren't a regular part of their diet which consists of hay, pellets and lettuce.I do raise some of my own bb flies to reduce the frequency of ordering flies, but I can go through 200 of them some days... I have had some success with using dog food as a medium, but I have to add milk to it. Once it sours, they usually lay eggs. Lately I've been having trouble with mold in my bb cultures, and boy do they stink. I have to keep them in a bathroom that is only used by guests. So, if any of you ever want to visit, be sure to give me some advanced notice so I can get rid of the flies and smell!


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## shane

can i just use fruitfly medium??? i dont like the idea of smell and touching the maggots... i have a big culture of meal worms that i had for 2 years now... can i feed my mantids meal worm beetles? they make some kind of smell


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## twolfe

shane said:


> can i feed my mantids meal worm beetles? they make some kind of smell


Shane, I do feed mine mealworms, but it's not the majority part of their diet. I feed them to my female breeders now and then and use them as emergency food. You should do a search though in the food and feeding section to get other breeders' opinions.


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## petoly

Tammy Wolfe said:


> Their droppings are probably similar to guinea pigs, but I'm curious what is wrong with feeding them carrots. My rabbits occasionally get baby carrots as treats, but they aren't a regular part of their diet which consists of hay, pellets and lettuce.


because of the whole carrots are poisonous to mantids thing. Just in case. I'm sure there wouldn't be enough to kill a mantis through all the regurgitation before the mantis actually gets to the fly, but just in case lol.


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## hibiscusmile

So the dog food is the wet canned stuff? and they lay eggs and maggots eat the dog food, then crawl out into cornmeal to pupae? I have some medium from my fly breeder, wonder if I can use it for bbs? and what the heck is going on, my font was so tiny I could not see what I was typing?????


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## hibiscusmile

Also, here in the country we have big flies, the size of a quarter, what are those called, are they the blow flies? I gonna go play in cow poop!  :clown:


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## patrickfraser

Oh yeah, the striped ones with the red bottom? Those are some bigguns.


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## aNisip

Those are called flesh flies...awesome feeders, however the females give live birth to the maggots right on the dogfood/whatever....or u xaych the females and chances are she's fertile and ready to lay, u just gently squeeze her abdomen and she spews maggz...but they don't lay as nearly as many as bbs lay eggs...so it will take tons of them to get the amount ud have with bbs...but today, I left my bb culture outside and saw a huge female flesh fly, it was exactly 1" and giving birth to her maggz on my dogfood...huge feeders...but take about three times as long to pupate and hatch...


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## hibiscusmile

You got to see that? I would love to see that too. Hope I can catch some here, without them taking my head off. Do they bite? With a name like flesh flies they must. I go google.


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## hibiscusmile

yuck, read up on them, to dangerous, thanks for info.


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## jrh3

yep we have flesh flies around here and some other big eyed fly thats about a 1inch long . like a house fly, i only see a few of those.


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## Maddybelle

Would this method work for houseflies and stable flies as well, or just BBs/GBs? And is there a way to stunt the flies so you can feed them to smaller mantids?


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## patrickfraser

I can't offer any info on the other flies, but BB and GB, if you wet them down good will leave the medium early. If you remove them, they will pupate when no food is available at the size they are. I have heard early pupation may also affect the wings, but i haven't noticed it, just smaller BBs.


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## fleurdejoo

Are we really certain that the carrots are poisonous to mantids?

I don't think so.

I use organic carrots to feed all my crickets.

Andrew when you are saying flesh flies are those also called soldiers flies? Or is that just another large fly?


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## hibiscusmile

Well I do know whenever I have used carrots as food, strangely enough me mantis have died, I was feeding them to worms too, and the mantis died, never do that again.


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## hibiscusmile

hummm, trying this again, nice thread, interesting to see what each is trying, I am like the rest of you, I would scream Ifn I saw a maggot, never mind a bb maggot, now they are nothing to me, well almost, haven't put my whole hand in the bucket yet, and I pray "dear Wonderful God, do not let me put my whole hand in there" :tt2:


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## hibiscusmile

Patrick, do you just use the chunky dog food to start them laying or do u use milk or something rotting? I keep searching and must of missed it. Would be nice if you make this a sticky without all the comments...... :kiss: ... can I suck up or what? :clown:


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