# Wow, even in this weather...



## PseudoDave (Aug 19, 2005)

Raining really hard all day today, due to a fruitfly shortage i decided to 'rig up a trap'. Put a couple of pieces of orange in a yogurt pot, covered it in mesh and put it outside under some shelter, sure enough, about a dozen little flys and some odd looking thing, will soon find out if the odd looking thing is a good food source :twisted:


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## Ian (Aug 19, 2005)

yep, rain been v heavy here to. That works a treat, expecially in the sun, I out a bit of banana out which they also love, and attracts a load. In these temps as well, you will find they will just lay in the mixture, and then fly off, so after a week or so, it will be teaming with maggots. This technique has saved me from buying any cultures this summer :wink:

Cheers,

Ian


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## worldofmantis (Aug 19, 2005)

Ive tryed that but it always seems to attract the ants more than the flys


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## PseudoDave (Aug 19, 2005)

Try placing the container inside a larger bowl of water, or suspend it from a hanging basket or similar. Will help avoid the ants.

Dave


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## worldofmantis (Aug 19, 2005)

I will try that thanks dave


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## PseudoDave (Aug 20, 2005)

Have just made a few little 'traps' and put them in various spots around the garden, one by each of the ponds and a couple just amongst various plants, trying to see where the flys like to be most....so i can kill them all, mwahaha :twisted: 8) :twisted:


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## PseudoDave (Aug 21, 2005)

Righty, my detective work is done for the day. Best combination so far is:

1 Mashed banana, with TWO big pinches of bakers yeast stirred in, not just on surface.

Spread along the bottom of a clean cricket box, put mesh fine enough for only fruit flys and smaller to get through, many wasps tried  .

Place amongst tall grass/nettles.

Walk upto it in a few hours and simply put the lid on it, nice and quickly. Pick it up and have a look, plenty of little flys for feeding, or starting a culture, already got a few eggs in there. Have been gathering them all evening and it's really not that tricky to manage them just because they can still fly. The nymphs need to put in a little extra effort to catch them, but then I guess that's why they call it natural selection. Have seen a couple that have had trouble even managing a blackfly/aphid, yet the others are fine with these flys. Also, one nymph that caught a black fly, then didnt know what to do with it. The idiot has still got it in his 'hand' and its been over an hour, the blackfly is still waving its legs about.

Anyway, figured I might as well say what worked for me...

Dave


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## Samzo (Aug 21, 2005)

ok cool nice one, should try that if i run out or dont buy any


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