Blowfly aka Bluebottle

[LAME]

Good day forum members!

recently ive gathered about 8-12 bluebottles and was curious as to how most people go about rearing them?

can I mix up the standard mix as fruit fly cults and use that media?

I was sent a link last night with a method of:

x1 cup dry dog food.

x1 cup milk.

add together and let sit to sour.

however, I have kids and I do not think my girlfriend would be too pleased with that sour milk/soggy rotten dog food idea.. I had thought to make this an outdoor project but fear in doing so it would allow other unwanted creatures to eventually get to the cult.

any ideas or different methods for rearing would be appreciated.

 

[Rick]

Most people don't. The spikes and pupae are so cheap why even bother?

 

[MantidBro]

Most people don't. The spikes and pupae are so cheap why even bother?

Free is better than cheap...

 

[LAME]

I have access to the adults right now, and with it being free I figured id give it atleast a try.

 

[Hellemose]

bluebottle flies are usually bred on rotten meat so fruitfly mix wont work

 

[LAME]

yeah, I thought about that too... :|

 

[Hellemose]

if you can live with the stench it gives, it should be fairly easy to breed them, but because its usually done on rotten meat and they are so cheap, most people just buy them as pupae or spikes.

 

[MantidBro]

yeah, I thought about that too... :|

How do people know that they ONLY will breed if theres rotting meat? Like has anyone actually studied this? Or are they reading stuff online? i read that theyll lay eggs as long as they have something thats moist and edible for the maggots to eat. Id give it a try bro! you never know, it might actually work out.

 

[MikhailsDinos]

I breed at the moment

Blue bottle (Calliphora vomitoria)

house flies (Musca domestica)

Curly wing house flies. (Musca domestica)

Both types of flightless fruit flies.

If you give them to much food it can smell. Its a lot of man hours. Also you need to have a container that has a lot of air flow and wide opening. The maggots can over heat themselves and will die within minutes.

 

[Hellemose]

What do you use as food/breeding source for the bluebottle and house flies MikhailsDinos? curly wings are a genetically "crippled" house fly isnt it?

 

[MikhailsDinos]

I use lots of wood chips and chicken feed. There is enough protein in that to get big blue bottles. Almost no smell, as long as you checking daily and making sure you add just the right amount of food to it. Just enough for them to eat in one day. Yes there wings are literally curly. You have to let any flying ones out of the container when you see them and let the curly winged ones keep breeding.

They wont lay there eggs on the food I make them. Use a small container with some paper towel and add milk. Change out daily and place paper towel on food for eggs to hatch and when they hatch remove paper towel. I only use the milk for them to lay. I don't use animal protein in the food I make for them.

 

[MantidBro]

I use lots of wood chips and chicken feed. There is enough protein in that to get big blue bottles. Almost no smell, as long as you checking daily and making sure you add just the right amount of food to it. Just enough for them to eat in one day. Yes there wings are literally curly. You have to let any flying ones out of the container when you see them and let the curly winged ones keep breeding.

Interesting!!

 

[LAME]

So, then they CAN be contained and reared without rotting meat.

I agree mantidbro... Why is everyone so close minded? Doesn't this hobby fall in the lines of "science"?

I'm glad to see others think outside the box.

I am actually able to get chicken feed, my mother raises them so shouldn't be to hard to acquire.

this will more than likely be an outside project though... I do have a shed I don't use. I guess if anything I could clean it up and convert it to my temporary project shed lol.

also, I had thought about meat babyfoods... Do you think that may work or no?

 

[MantidBro]

So, then they CAN be contained and reared without rotting meat.

I agree mantidbro... Why is everyone so close minded? Doesn't this hobby fall in the lines of "science"?

I'm glad to see others think outside the box.

I am actually able to get chicken feed, my mother raises them so shouldn't be to hard to acquire.

this will more than likely be an outside project though... I do have a shed I don't use. I guess if anything I could clean it up and convert it to my temporary project shed lol.

also, I had thought about meat babyfoods... Do you think that may work or no?

Yes lets actually experiment and see for ourselves i say!

Oooh yeah thats right!! your mom has chickens, thats freakin perfect, lol!

Good idea about the shed! Id bet meat babyfood would work!

 

[Rick]

Free is better than cheap...

Labor and time involved=$$.

I'd personally rather spend a few dollars and not have to deal with raising them myself. But if a person chooses to raise their own then good on em.

 

[SSimsswiSS]

Doesn't sound free to someone's Mom.

I let someone else raise them up, and purchase the pupae. The flies I get are raised up on salmon. Seems to be a health diet for the maggots, and works best for those farming them.

 

[MantidBro]

Labor and time involved=$$.

I'd personally rather spend a few dollars and not have to deal with raising them myself. But if a person chooses to raise their own then good on em.

Not everyone is as well off as others. I for one struggle financially. You can bust your hump every day and still not make enough.

 

[MantidBro]

Doesn't sound free to someone's Mom.

I let someone else raise them up, and purchase the pupae. The flies I get are raised up on salmon. Seems to be a health diet for the maggots, and works best for those farming them.

Doesnt sound free to someones mom... Wow! thats rude.

 

[patrickfraser]

I use canned dog food and just get a mix of flies by leaving it outside in my shed.

I dump a can of chunky dog food in a large bucket that contained cat litter and that goes into a trash barrel with cornmeal or tamale flour at the bottom.

I only allow flies to lay eggs for a day or two and then cover the trashcan with a sheer curtain for ventilation and to keep out flies.

When the maggots get their fill and are ready to pupate, they will crawl up and out of the medium and fall into the flour which dries them up and keeps them from escaping the trash can.

Then I just sift out the spikes and reuse the flour.