Blue Bottle fly Help

[FlyedPiper]

Hi all.  I bought a bunch of spikes from a local bait shop (1000 ct ) and I've been keeping the pupae out in small deli cups on paper towel and lightly misting once a day or so.  It's been a week or so, but no hatches yet.  Am I doing something wrong?  The rest are in the fridge.  I cut one open and there was a little gooey white bugger in there.

Any input is appreciated.  

 

[hysteresis]

Hi all.  I bought a bunch of spikes from a local bait shop (1000 ct ) and I've been keeping the pupae out in small deli cups on paper towel and lightly misting once a day or so.  It's been a week or so, but no hatches yet.  Am I doing something wrong?  The rest are in the fridge.  I cut one open and there was a little gooey white bugger in there.

Any input is appreciated.  

Mine can take two weeks+ from spikes. 

Now I keep my cups in the garage where it's warmer than the house. Its a bit faster. 

 

[FlyedPiper]

Yeah I'm trying some on the balcony as well.  It's been hot and humid.  The others I'm trying in the house (gets up to 80 during the day).

They were 75% pupating when I got them.  I've still got some spikes so I suppose there's still hope of getting some of them to hatch.

I'm wondering how long they'll be viable in the fridge?

 

[hysteresis]

Yeah I'm trying some on the balcony as well.  It's been hot and humid.  The others I'm trying in the house (gets up to 80 during the day).

They were 75% pupating when I got them.  I've still got some spikes so I suppose there's still hope of getting some of them to hatch.

I'm wondering how long they'll be viable in the fridge?

Spikes about a month I think. 

Pupae less. Im not sure if you take 3 week old spikes and want to store them as pupae, how long theyd keep combined. They probably don't stack like that. 

Keep them out of sunlight. Ive read they prefer dim environment. 

 

[hysteresis]

Oh, I wouldnt keep them outside. Too hot probably to be in a cup. Just keep them in a cup in a dark corner inside and you should be good. 

 

[hibiscusmile]

I have a care sheet on my site under the feeder insects. They do not need food or water at this stage or sunlight or dark,  just keep them in room temps and they will hatch if viable. They may be old pupae at pet stores, you dont know how long they were there. Fresh spikes take 8 days from spike to fly to hatch. Don't mist them, they breath thru that shell and would probably drown.

 

[hysteresis]

I agree with not misting pupae. Not with summer humidity. If anything, put your cup inside another container with wet pads or substrate to delivery humidity. 

 

[FlyedPiper]

Ok folks... Here's my update.  I purchased 1000 spikes from my local bait store.  Tried in vain to hatch the pupae in the container (which made up about 50% of them.  They appeared to start pupating either on the way to the shop or because he left them out of the fridge.  No luck.

I tried again with fresh spikes (non pupating).  It's working!  Put about 50 in a small vented container.  Took almost 2 weeks. Got about a 75% hatch rate so far by suspending them in the fridge as full grown flies once they start hatching... then I feed off the flies and leave the container out..  Get another 10.  Repeat as needed.

The spikes stay suspended in the coldest part of the fridge and sealed in a plastic bag around the container they come in with as much of the air removed as possible.

The spikes seem to stay alive indefinitely in the fridge.  Just not once they pupate.  I paid $16.99 for a thousand.  No shipping .  I plan on keeping them on a cycle for an endless supply.

Hope this helps someone.  Thanks.

 

[FlyedPiper]

Not misting them BTW.  I just keep a moist piece of paper towel (moistened daily) in the cup.  No substrate.  The spikes start pupating within a couple days.

 

[hysteresis]

I read on a GRUBCO cate sheet that containers storing them should only have a couple pinholes. This time I pupated in a cup with less ventilation and these pupae look amazing. Smell right. Look right. No misting. 

 

[hysteresis]

The spikes seem to stay alive indefinitely in the fridge.  Just not once they pupate.  I paid $16.99 for a thousand.  No shipping .  I plan on keeping them on a cycle for an endless supply.

FYI spikes dont keep indefinitely. If too old they will fail to eclose, even if they do pupate. You can feed the larvae out tho.

Results vary, but larvae will keep refrigerated between 3 and 5 weeks.

 

[FlyedPiper]

Good info.  Thanks.  I'm trying another 30 or so.  We'll see what happens.  I'll keep the less ventilation thing in mind.