# Feeders galore



## patrickfraser (May 11, 2013)

Just thought I'd share my feeder collection.

BB's laying eggs.







GB's making their exodus






Hydei fruit fly cultures






Roaches (Hissssser/Dubia mix)






Mealworms











Superworms











...and my latest addition...Garden snails






One of the reasons I do it all...


----------



## mantid_mike (May 11, 2013)

you got a hefty load of feeders!


----------



## Sticky (May 11, 2013)

Who eats the snails?


----------



## jrh3 (May 11, 2013)

Sticky said:


> Who eats the snails?


patrick does, lol.


----------



## hibiscusmile (May 11, 2013)

Oh My! no more snails! yuck, on the othe hand, nice collection, must keep you busy! I like the ff holder! Very bright idea! and hey, how did u get the flies to lay on the dog food?


----------



## patrickfraser (May 11, 2013)

the snails are delicious with garlic and butter, but my chameleons like them plain.


----------



## hibiscusmile (May 11, 2013)

Sure they do!


----------



## patrickfraser (May 11, 2013)

hibiscusmile said:


> Oh My! no more snails! yuck, on the othe hand, nice collection, must keep you busy! I like the ff holder! Very bright idea! and hey, how did u get the flies to lay on the dog food?


I have had problems with the wet dog food where the flies seemed to mass suicide somehow by all getting in the "juice" and dying. I placed the dry food on top of the chunky wet food to not allow it and it seems to have worked wonderfully. In time, with misting, the dry dog food will become moist and be consumed with the other food.


----------



## fleurdejoo (May 11, 2013)

Oooooooh gahd!! Ack! Ick! Oh god!

Scott!!!

Why?!?!?

WHY?!??!?!

Somebody dial 911 I've gone into grody shock!!


----------



## aNisip (May 11, 2013)

Nice feeders!  u don't eat the snails raw? C'mon, live a little!  and are all those hydei cultures for the soon to hatch chams?


----------



## OctoberRainne (May 11, 2013)

I need to get more into culturing myself,definitely the way to go if successful,thanxx for sharing


----------



## patrickfraser (May 11, 2013)

Yes, the hydei are for the babies once they hatch. I eed to make some more once these start hatching into flies. I had to emergency order some flies, as mine just seemed to crash. I don't know if they were at the "end of the line" for reproducing (I've been reculturing the same flies for quite some time), or what, but I'm back on track and they are booming.


----------



## patrickfraser (May 11, 2013)

OctoberRainne said:


> I need to get more into culturing myself,definitely the way to go if successful,thanxx for sharing


I'd be broke if I had to pay for my feeders.  It's not the cost of the feeders, but the shipping that really bites.


----------



## aNisip (May 11, 2013)

Flies will culture for(basically)ever .....they have so few chromosome count (like 16 or somethin) inbreeding doesn't detrimentally harm them...

I hope ur chams hatch soon!  I plan on getting a pair


----------



## hibiscusmile (May 11, 2013)

I called 911, they said to discusting for them to, you and I are on our own girl! :gun_bandana:


----------



## patrickfraser (May 11, 2013)

It is horrible waiting. I keep looking for the eggs to be sweating which signals hatching soon. I want to know what's going on inside. My hatch estimate was between April and June, so that puts it just about at the halfway point of my prediction. I have noticed the eggs seem to be getting larger. They will hatch when they're ready, I guess.


----------



## dgerndt (May 11, 2013)

Wow, what a variety! You're so much more dedicated to feeders than I am. Haha


----------



## Krissim Klaw (May 12, 2013)

That last photo. One of the reasons you do it, for a branch with weird googly eyes? I kid, I kid.

How would you rate the time involvement on the blue bottle flies? I've been sort of tempted to try doing them but then again I only keep a few mantises at a time so not sure if it is worth it.


----------



## patrickfraser (May 12, 2013)

It's better to have too many flies than not enough. You can always sell your excess or just release them. Great freebie with a mantis purchase, too.

Just buy a can of dog food, spread it out into one layer, and leave it outside in a warm, but shaded area (out of reach of animals). You'll see what flies it is attracting immediately. Just let everyone go about their business and in a very short time, you'll start to see eggs. Take it from there.

I keep BB's culturing separate and the GB's (and whatever else is in the mix) are wild cultured as described.


----------



## fleurdejoo (May 12, 2013)

Seriously I think it's amazing and I wish I could do it!


----------



## patrickfraser (May 12, 2013)

I just put out a can of dog food today for the "wild" flies. It is a nice warm day and it should stay that way for a few days. They grow so much faster with warmer temps.


----------



## jrh3 (May 12, 2013)

i do the same but also use a 2 liter coke bottle with the top cut off then inserted like a funnel they enter and cant get out. Leave for a few days and they will lay in there.


----------



## MantidLord (May 12, 2013)

Wow...That's awesome. Do you have a room for all of those?


----------



## Digger (May 12, 2013)

Escargot ! Oui ! Yum !

Patrick, I'd pay you in gold bullion for some of those FFs !! Actually, I need melanos. Got 200+ newborns to feed and 1 crashed culture and a starter culture that seems to be sputtering. Will email my supplier later for an emergency shipment of ready melanos.


----------



## Krissim Klaw (May 12, 2013)

patrickfraser said:


> It's better to have too many flies than not enough. You can always sell your excess or just release them. Great freebie with a mantis purchase, too.
> 
> Just buy a can of dog food, spread it out into one layer, and leave it outside in a warm, but shaded area (out of reach of animals). You'll see what flies it is attracting immediately. Just let everyone go about their business and in a very short time, you'll start to see eggs. Take it from there.
> 
> I keep BB's culturing separate and the GB's (and whatever else is in the mix) are wild cultured as described.


Hahaha, for wild flies I just go out in the early morning. Gross as it may be I think my dog Kirby keeps them well fed with his daily gifts of doggy poo. Sadly if I left any food it would be hard to allow flies to come yet keep it from my neighbor's cats, all the birds, and squirrels. Oh and the ants... can't forget them.

I would mostly be interested in the BB's since they are a size up from the ones I usually catch outside. Do they need a good light cycle? I have a barn in the back so I figured I could culture them in there but not sure how much light they will get since I would need to keep it under lock once again to keep out the neighbor's cats and other critters...


----------



## jrh3 (May 12, 2013)

sometimes i mass produce wild fruit flies in a 5 gallon bucks with screen on top so only the fruit flies can get in, but there are millions of them and hard to manage. this is only when im planning on 5 or so ooths hatching, lol. rest of the time i just use cultures.


----------



## patrickfraser (May 13, 2013)

I do my flies in a shed in backyard. I have made a spare room in my house the critter room with all other feeders, mantids, and chameleons.


----------



## patrickfraser (May 21, 2013)

I have baby snails! :clap:


----------



## Collin s (May 21, 2013)

thats very cool! if you had a jacksons they LOVE snails! i raise crickets but not roaches they're to scary :helpsmilie: nice collection of feeders btw.


----------



## patrickfraser (May 21, 2013)

My veileds eat them, but they can't be too big.


----------

