Breeding aphids to replace fruit flies

[Teamonger]

Having recently moved to Iceland, a land seriously devoid of insects, I have had no luck at all getting fruit flies from any source. As luck had it however the lettuce growing in the tiny garden at my new place was infested with green aphids.

The mantises all seem happy to eat them so I figured I'd make a go of breeding them. I've looked up some tutorials online but was wondering if anyone on here has ever breed these things and has any tips? 

 

[Aristalochia]

Hey Teamonger, I've 'raised' some different kinds but just from the garden. Darts love em. They breed pretty quickly and dont smell so they are pretty handy. I didn't  find much online about culturing any type except in reports of breeding one species on several week old bean seedlings or cuttings that are used to farm predatory insects for pest control in greenhouses.  I found nice little colony on some organic kale from the store recently. Anyway most species mature in 7 to 10 days, have 40-60 babies individual adult capable of producing 40 to 60 offspring. They can cause gnarled deformed growth on some plants by feeding on its developing shoots but many plants dont show any damage. As the colony grows too big for the plant to support winged aphids are produced to go find more food. If the plant cannot support the colony, winged female aphids are produced to go out in search of a new host. Hope that helps, goodluck with them

 

[Teamonger]

Just an update on this. My aphid colony seems to have all died off, no idea why as I gave them new plants and had 100s of them to start off with. HOWEVER the pet store finally had fruit flies in stock and even though they cost me somewhere around 20 dollars a culture I am over the moon with joy. 

I will surely attempt aphids again in the spring when they re-infest my garden just for fun and as a handy backup but I am so relieved I don't have to rely on them anymore. Way less stress to go with what you know works!

 

[Aristalochia]

Congrats