# Is setting up a fruit fly culture hard?



## Davisnguyen998 (Apr 4, 2013)

I always see posts on how to do it but I never get like .. visuals or pictures so it's kinda hard for me to understand. Is it expensive? I want to be able to raise my own little mantis babies  haha.


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## Malakyoma (Apr 4, 2013)

not at all. A basic culture is just mixing quick oats with honey and orange juice, costs maybe $5 for 10 cultures.


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## Davisnguyen998 (Apr 4, 2013)

Malakyoma said:


> not at all. A basic culture is just mixing quick oats with honey and orange juice, costs maybe $5 for 10 cultures.


do you know a good post or care sheet of some sort where i could learn how to do so? preferably with pictures


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## Malakyoma (Apr 4, 2013)

Davisnguyen998 said:


> do you know a good post or care sheet of some sort where i could learn how to do so? preferably with pictures


dont know of any with pictures, but this thread has a bunch of different recipes in it. http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=7715


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## hibiscusmile (Apr 4, 2013)

Search for "Bugatorium" I have a recipes on that thread.


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## twolfe (Apr 4, 2013)

When I mix my own media, I use Rebecca's recipe and have had good luck with that. But as I got busy and have more mantids, I have switched to using Repashy most of the time. It's very quick and my nymphs seem to be doing really well eating fruitflies from the cultures made with Repashy.


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## Rick (Apr 5, 2013)

No. I make them in the 32 oz insect cups with cloth vented lid. I add about an inch or two of dry commercially made medium (works best), a pinch of yeast, and enough water to make the medium wet but not sopping wet. Put a LITTLE bit of excelsior and add some flies. Put lid on and wait. Done. People on here try to get all fancy but it really is that simple.


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## hibiscusmile (Apr 5, 2013)

Terribly hard, don't listen to them. buy mine! ahahha hahhaha I bad girl!


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## Rick (Apr 6, 2013)

hibiscusmile said:


> Terribly hard, don't listen to them. buy mine! ahahha hahhaha I bad girl!


Shameless promoting. :shifty:


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## hibiscusmile (Apr 6, 2013)

I know! what nerve! :tt2:


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## Qwiggalo (Apr 7, 2013)

Recipe: 
1/4 c. Mashed Potato Flakes- choose the least expensive brand you can find 
1 T. Powdered Sugar 
1 T. Brewer's Yeast (optional) 
Sprinkle of Dry Active Yeast 
1/4 c. white vinegar 
1/4 c. hot water


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## patrickfraser (Apr 7, 2013)

Qwiggalo said:


> Recipe:
> 
> 1/4 c. Mashed Potato Flakes- choose the least expensive brand you can find
> 
> ...


Only sprinkle a pinch or so of the yeast on the prepared medium. 1 Packet will last a long time.


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## hibiscusmile (Apr 7, 2013)

I made cultures again tonight, what am I doing wrong? see pics......

the first one is what was in one culture, 2nd is new culture, 3rd is even after dumping out all the flies I could, still to many left.....

fuzzy even made cultures with me twice last week, the more I make the more I make......funny, I don't have many mouths to feed them to, now if I did, I would not have any fruit flies, u with me !


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## OregonMantis (Apr 8, 2013)

Qwiggalo said:


> Recipe:
> 
> 1/4 c. Mashed Potato Flakes- choose the least expensive brand you can find
> 
> ...


I use this recipe with a couple tablespoons of oatmeal too. I would also like to add the cheaper the flakes the better. Make sure there is no added butter or flavorings.


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## TheOtherSpecies (Apr 8, 2013)

I buy my media through flycafe.net but I will be trying these other methods!


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## hibiscusmile (Apr 8, 2013)

yea, there is absolutely no reason not to make your own. That's how I started, I never brought anyones mix, made my own till I got it right. Took me a long time to find the right yeast, and mold inhibitor, but I have them now and I am pleased with them.


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## ScienceGirl (Apr 8, 2013)

Qwiggalo said:


> Recipe:
> 
> 1/4 c. Mashed Potato Flakes- choose the least expensive brand you can find
> 
> ...


Don't forget to read labels a bit, too. The smaller amount of preservatives, the better!


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## JTHMfreak (Apr 10, 2013)

I started a repashy culture on the 3rd, still don't seem to see any larvae, too soon?


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## hibiscusmile (Apr 11, 2013)

depends, what species/?


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## Bug Trader (Apr 11, 2013)

Qwiggalo said:


> Recipe:
> 
> 1/4 c. Mashed Potato Flakes- choose the least expensive brand you can find
> 
> ...


Brewers Yeast is actually the key ingredient in most FF Medias it is what makes them produce so well.

FlyCafe has a good media, as does Repashy but I make my own, its better anyways. But most depend on Brewers Yeast. My media is producing cups full of maggots that are pupating at about 11 days.


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## JTHMfreak (Apr 11, 2013)

hibiscusmile said:


> depends, what species/?


D Hydei


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## hibiscusmile (Apr 11, 2013)

yes, to soon, should be any time now to see the maggots.

ps. I have brewers yeast on my site for those who want some.


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## JTHMfreak (Apr 11, 2013)

My noodles have soggified on the bottom too


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## lancaster1313 (Apr 11, 2013)

JTHMfreak said:


> My noodles have soggified on the bottom too


Rebecca did say that "a noodle won't do". lol


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## JTHMfreak (Apr 12, 2013)

Yeah, but I was curious to see how well and long they would hold up for. Plus I had already made everything. Can excelsior be washed off and reused?


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## Tony C (Apr 12, 2013)

JTHMfreak said:


> Yeah, but I was curious to see how well and long they would hold up for. Plus I had already made everything. Can excelsior be washed off and reused?


I wouldn't recommend it, reusing materials that cannot be properly sanitized is begging for a mite infestation. Excelsior is dirt cheap anyway, not worth the effort even if it could be salvaged.


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## Bug Trader (Apr 12, 2013)

I use the best excelsior I can find, and trust me its not the stuff that mushes up and gets real nasty but you couldn't pay me to try and take it out the cup and wash it......

Tony is right some things just are not worth it, your risking many things even a mold allergy should your cultures have mold like many peoples get.


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## hibiscusmile (Apr 12, 2013)

Excelsior is the main item which brings in mites. As you notice in my feedback, my cultures have no mites, that for three reasons, one I do not use in cultures until they ship, 2 I do not keep them long enough to let them even start, oh and 3, they set on mite paper all the time.


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## JTHMfreak (Apr 12, 2013)

The problem is I can't seem to find any excelsior around me, it's not the cost that makes me want to reuse it.


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## Bug Trader (Apr 12, 2013)

Excelsior is easy to keep mite free, just microwave or bake it before use. You could technically quick dip in in boiling water as well to sterilize it and let it cool if your in a climate where your cultures normally dry out this will help keep moisture in the cup.


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## Digger (Apr 12, 2013)

hibiscusmile said:


> Excelsior is the main item which brings in mites. As you notice in my feedback, my cultures have no mites, that for three reasons, one I do not use in cultures until they ship, 2 I do not keep them long enough to let them even start, oh and 3, they set on mite paper all the time.


Rebecca - Where does one find mite paper?


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## Bug Trader (Apr 12, 2013)

Amazon, herp shops, and many other places.


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## hibiscusmile (Apr 12, 2013)

I have it on my site, but the manufacturer says it is in the dollar stores, but I can't find it there, maybe I don't look in the right places, but reguardless I had to order thru them.


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## ladygigi (May 14, 2013)

Bug Trader said:


> Brewers Yeast is actually the key ingredient in most FF Medias it is what makes them produce so well.
> 
> FlyCafe has a good media, as does Repashy but I make my own, its better anyways. But most depend on Brewers Yeast. My media is producing cups full of maggots that are pupating at about 11 days.


On the recipe it says that Brewers Yeast is optional, yet you are saying that it's the key ingredient, :huh: which to me doesn't really make it optional. So which is it, optional ingredient or key ingredient? (Trying to learn something cuz I gotta start some cultures quick! Like yesterday. lol :lol: )


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## patrickfraser (May 14, 2013)

It is a key optional ingredient.


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## dgerndt (May 14, 2013)

I don't use brewers yeast very often. Don't worry about it if you dont have it.


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## patrickfraser (May 15, 2013)

It works fine without it, but so much better with.


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## mantid_mike (May 15, 2013)

I just set up my 3rd cultures of hydei &amp; melanogasters using Repashy. Literally only took 5 minutes to prepare.


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## fleurdejoo (May 15, 2013)

I like the Massa mix. There's a whole thread on here somewhere with the recipe.

I also prefer using excelsior the coffee filters can sometimes just get in the way for me anyway.


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## jrh3 (May 15, 2013)

I use the listed recipe above which is awesome but i also use joshsfrogs media it is also great and has great turnout.

Elxisor can be bought at hobby lobby or any craft store.


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## Krissim Klaw (May 16, 2013)

JTHMfreak said:


> The problem is I can't seem to find any excelsior around me, it's not the cost that makes me want to reuse it.


You could just use some coffee filters. That is what I use for mine.


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## fleurdejoo (May 16, 2013)

Woah, woah, WOAH!

Excelsior may have mites???????

What???

Are you for rizzle?

I like the excelsior because sometimes the coffee filters just get too big and floppy.

But I did not know that excelsior might contain mites.

I'm itchy now.

So how long in the microwave?


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## JTHMfreak (May 17, 2013)

If you look at my gallery I have found the perfect substitute (as far as I am concerned)







This stuff works great, is dirt cheap, and reusable. You can easily see I have a thriving FF colony


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## BugLover (May 17, 2013)

JTHMfreak said:


> Yeah, but I was curious to see how well and long they would hold up for. Plus I had already made everything. Can excelsior be washed off and reused?


I have re-used excelsior only once before. I just rinsed it in water and let it dry on a paper towel in the sun (by a window, on your porch). I did not know it could hurt anything though, so I won't recommend it.


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