Blue botle flies hatching in fridge.

[Mantis Lady]

Yesterday and this morning I saw a few hatched flies in my fly pupea box. I had a few hungry mantids waiting so I didnt mind. But I thought flies wouldn't hatch in the fridge because it is too cold for them.  there are still a few flies in there i am going to give to freshly molted Soraya tomorrow. I think she will ignore the fruitflies now.

Is my fridge not cold enough?

 

[MantisGirl13]

That is strange! Your fridge may not be cold enough.

- MantisGirl13

 

[Mantis Lady]

I found 4 flies, 2 are with mantids with flat abdomen now. Hope Soraya grabs hers. she never had eaten one.

i have put the flies on lowest shelf, maybe it is colder there.

 

[MantisGirl13]

I hope that Sprays ways them!

- MantisGirl13

 

[Synapze]

In my experience, BBF will hatch in the fridge after you've had them for them a while. I keep my beverage fridge at around 40°- 45° and I start having fridge hatches after about a 1 to 2 weeks. I take mine out of the fridge for about a hour every few days to allow the hatched flies to wake up to eat and drink (damp sponge and sugar cube) and to make sure they develop properly before placing them back. In the fridge, so that's why I usually always more hatch outs. I've found that if I don't give them "fridge breaks" the flies decrease in size. The hatched adults (in my experience) live longer than I can feed them out and I rarely see any dead flies. At about 3 weeks I just leave them out so the remaining pupae will hatch out before I get a new order. My BBFs last me about 4 weeks at which point I already have a new order on the way. I prefer that they hatch out vs. putting the pupae directly into the enclosures since I like to monitor my mantids eating habits. It's not as convenient as working with unhatched pupae I suppose, but it works for me. Your results may vary. 

So, yes... they will eventually begin to hatch out in the fridge, but the ones that do seem to be smaller and I assume less nutritious. This has been my experience. 

Hope my 2¢ helps.

 

[Mantis Lady]

Hope my 2¢ helps.

They do

The smaller flies that hatched i give to the smaller mantids. (I prefer to know what the mantids eat.) I think I have this cup with pupea a week or 2. Think I will do the same and give  the hached ones out of fridge time too and do what you said about feeding them. The flies are big like the ones you see in summertime. A few are smaller, but those can go to Soraya. She is enjoying it when she ate one for breakfast.

 

[Synapze]

@Little Mantis The runt flies often come in handy. ?

 

[hysteresis]

OoohhHhHhhh. 

My wife is gonna LOVE the day when I start keeping flies in our fridge! 

??????

 

[Synapze]

@hysteresis I know exactly what you're up against. I have restrictions. ?

BBFs - labeled biohazard and double binder clipped. Cup inside is secured with multiple rubberbands. 

My fruit fly cultures. 2 biohazard labels... because there was room for more than one, I guess. ?

The struggle is real. ?

 

[Mantis Lady]

Oh yeah, the boxes with biohazard on it. I should make a box with that on it too. My hubby was already complaining a bout pests ( the pupea)in the fridge and some excapedes?

My wife is gonna LOVE the day when I start keeping flies in our fridge! 

My hubby LOVED that day already. ????

 

[MantisGirl13]

@hysteresis I know exactly what you're up against. I have restrictions. ?

BBFs - labeled biohazard and double binder clipped. Cup inside is secured with multiple rubberbands. 



My fruit fly cultures. 2 biohazard labels... because there was room for more than one, I guess. ?



The struggle is real. ?

Lol? That is hilarious!

- MantisGirl13

 

[Mantis Lady]

I have to think about a box, you don't see the flies.  (or creating one) to not freak my hubby by seeing it. (they are at the moment in a transparant cup)They all love to eat the flies, Soraya saw her fly and ran to it and starting to eat it.?