# Keeping flies in rotation



## J.mena (Oct 2, 2017)

So I've been doing a ton of research and can't come up with a definitive answer. I'm trying to find the best rotation for keeping bb and house flies as feeders. 

I have an orchid, 2 budwings, 2 spiny flower, and a local stagmomantis limbata female. I ordered house fly and bb fly pupae. All are hatching and buzzing around. I usually feed everyday or every other day. So I need a few live ones available at all times. Although I get the feeling I am wasting flies by hatching them all at once. I feed them yen's special blend and mist them lightly. It's been less than a week and I can see deaths in the jars. So my feeding schedule is sloppy. 

How do you keep fresh flies on rotation while also being efficient? Saving some for later. I don't want to buy 100 pupae if the mantids can only eat 30 of them. Before the batch dies. I'll buy whatever contraptions I need upfront. I just want it to be cost effective in the long run. Get a nice schedule going and maximizing the feeders. 

The only adult I have is the limbata. All the rest are L3/L4. So they are not eating mass amounts of flies.


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## Connor (Oct 2, 2017)

Don't hatch all the flies at once and instead only hatch as many as you need at the time. If you store the pupae in the fridge they won't hatch and will last a couple weeks.


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## J.mena (Oct 2, 2017)

My problem is sometimes it takes days for them to hatch or they don't hatch in the amount I need. So for the mantids I have. I need 21 bb flies and about 70 house flies per week. I also want to keep shipping down. At usually a $10 shipping cost each time the flies can add up fast. 

So I need some way to keep about 100 flies alive per week. Have some on standby, but also a fresh source. Without getting deliveries every week


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## Connor (Oct 2, 2017)

Houseflies tend to cause trouble and don't last long so for most species I skipped house and went straight to bbs. I get like 400 for 6 dollars(shipping kills me too) and put straight in the fridge and take a few out each day and let them hatch. But I actually learned a better method on accident. I had accidentally left the little thing of pupae out, causing a bunch to hatch. But for some reason they stay alive longer in the fridge as just hatchlings and stay small without growing wings since they are so packed. Then when I take them out of the fridge there are plenty that are hatched and small like a housefly. These are just my thoughts. P.S. haven't ordered bb flies in 3 weeks now!


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## hibiscusmile (Oct 3, 2017)

yea, letting them hatch and putting in fridge they last a good week or so, i do it everyday.


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## Sarah K (Oct 3, 2017)

I would say you should figure out how many blue bottle flies you want to feed out to your mantises each day, and each day, take just that many out to hatch. While you wait a few days for the first daily batch to hatch, continue to feed all the extra ones you have hatched already. It will take a few days to catch up, but eventually,  you will have just the right amount of fresh flies hatching everyday to feed your mantises for the day!


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## J.mena (Oct 3, 2017)

Ok guys thanks for the help. I just reordered some flies. Going to try what you guys mentioned. 

Say have you guys ever tried to catch flies from outside? Maybe some kind of live trap you can throw in the fridge when you want to feed.


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## Kermit (Oct 3, 2017)

I pour a certain amount into a separate container.

Keep the rest in the fridge.

Leave the small batch out for a couple of days. Once they start hatching put that small batch immediately in the fridge until you are ready to feed. When you take the small batch out to feed the flies will be very sluggish making it easy to sprinkle out what you need without escapees. Many of the pupae will still not have hatched , but are closer because you originally left the smaller batch out.  As you use the hatched flies, others will emerge by just leaving the container out for an hour or more.

Then just repeat and put in fridge to store and or slow their metabolism.

Once the smaller batch is used up, empty and replace with another small batch from the main container.

I actually will have a couple of smaller batches going at the same time in separate containers and it works even better.

Last trick: Ive designed a dispenser that allows for separation of the pupae shells from the flies, so you easy can feed while not dumping a mess of shells into the container.

If you want more information, PM me and we can work something out ?


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## Ocelotbren (Oct 3, 2017)

Fly traps are definitely an option too.  I used this design:



It works pretty well, although I seem to have problems with consistency due to changing weather because sometimes I have too many flies and other times none at all.  So I've still had to buy pupae here and there through the summer to supplement.

Whatever you decide, good luck!


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## J.mena (Oct 4, 2017)

Thank you all again. The fly trapper is a good option. Going to try and rotate pupae first. I'll contact Kermit if I have any issues. Thank you for offering to help me out too Kermit


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