# Blue bottle fly or house fly culture?



## TheWrongCrowd (Feb 22, 2021)

Does anyone here have a successful blue bottle, or house fly, fly culture? I'm interested in trying to breed some for my mantids instead of purchasing a lot and freezing them. Ive only been able to find one video on how to breed them but I appreciate multiple sources.


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## MrGhostMantis (Feb 22, 2021)

TheWrongCrowd said:


> Does anyone here have a successful blue bottle, or house fly, fly culture? I'm interested in trying to breed some for my mantids instead of purchasing a lot and freezing them. Ive only been able to find one video on how to breed them but I appreciate multiple sources.


It’s a stinky and gross process to breed them. Honestly I don’t think it’s worth it.


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## hibiscusmile (Feb 22, 2021)

To start off you can't freeze them and there aren't really what you call cultures but I sell a housefly food you may be able to use for blue bottle I don't know all you do is wet it with water and if the flies aren't laying you soak a piece of bread and some milk that's sour a little you could set it out for a day or so and you can use that other than that I don't know of any other thing that you can do a lot of people will use meat but that's really a smelly thing to do and a lot of people can't handle it including me


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## agent A (Feb 22, 2021)




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## TheWrongCrowd (Feb 23, 2021)

hibiscusmile said:


> To start off you can't freeze them and there aren't really what you call cultures but I sell a housefly food you may be able to use for blue bottle I don't know all you do is wet it with water and if the flies aren't laying you soak a piece of bread and some milk that's sour a little you could set it out for a day or so and you can use that other than that I don't know of any other thing that you can do a lot of people will use meat but that's really a smelly thing to do and a lot of people can't handle it including me


My bad, I meant  refrigerate for a day if I'm saving them for later.  I see, okay thanks


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## TheWrongCrowd (Feb 23, 2021)

MrGhostMantis said:


> It’s a stinky and gross process to breed them. Honestly I don’t think it’s worth it.


Yeah I can see why that would be, it would be in a shed but yes I understand it being unpleasant. I mean, it is breeding flies.


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## TheWrongCrowd (Feb 23, 2021)

> 8 hours ago, mantisloverguy6000 said:



Thank you


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## Introvertebrate (Feb 23, 2021)

That lady in the video appears to successfully breed houseflies indoors.  I don't think you can breed Blue Bottles without a smelly medium.  The question is, can you take mantids to maturity on houseflies alone, or do they need to be switched over to Blue Bottles at some point.


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## agent A (Feb 23, 2021)

Introvertebrate said:


> That lady in the video appears to successfully breed houseflies indoors.  I don't think you can breed Blue Bottles without a smelly medium.  The question is, can you take mantids to maturity on houseflies alone, or do they need to be switched over to Blue Bottles at some point.


i tried to rear bottleflies on the housefly medium but they only grew for a few days


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## Introvertebrate (Feb 23, 2021)

Someone on YouTube asked that woman if her medium would work with blue bottles.  She replied as follows: "Soft chicken based dog food.  Outdoors under a rain shelter.  Inside of a scavenger-proof fence.  I have no sense of smell which helps."

I think she lives in Pennsylvania, so that's not going to work for her this time of year.  Perhaps Seattle winters are milder.


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## TheWrongCrowd (Feb 23, 2021)

mantisloverguy6000 said:


> i tried to rear bottleflies on the housefly medium but they only grew for a few days


Good to know!


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## Introvertebrate (Mar 11, 2021)

mantisloverguy6000 said:


> i tried to rear bottleflies on the housefly medium but they only grew for a few days


Mantisloverguy, I didn’t know that was you in the video.  My apologies.


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