Catfish bait to feed flies?

[Mr. Hyde]

So, I am hoping to breed my Idolo, and have read most people have the best luck on strict "flying insect only" diets. But I have never raised flies for any reason, so I am new. Doing some research I have read multiple times that an important factor in flies reproducing or even hatching is the smell of the food. I did not care much for the idea of dog food or any meats intended to go bad in the house. At the store I had a revelation that catfish also are very scent oriented.

My problem is that the best thing I found was a cat fish pre-molded bait pellet thing that came in two flavors. I went with the chicken liver for the idea of meat (I forget what the other one was, but it was not meat based). BUT they don't put the actual ingredients on the package, nor does the manufacture list them. I figure, It's feeding something that people will eat, so there can't be anything harmful in it right? I also found this site listing nutrition facts about chicken liver and it appears to be an ideal gut load for these little guys.

So I let one pellet soak for a bit in the water that I ultimately soaked into the substrate (along with some other things), mashed it up and let it absorb into the mixture fully. I also threw one on top so they could make an attempt at eating it.

Does anyone know more about these baits and if this is a good or bad idea? Please if you feel it is a bad idea, let me know, otherwise I'll post updates on how well it works.

 

[Sticky]

I would not trust it. There may be chemicals in it or other bad things that could hurt your mantis.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Let us know how it goes.

 

[AxolotlsAreCoolToo]

i just feed mine sweet things like syrup or honey. what ar other popular gutloads?

 

[Mr. Hyde]

I would not trust it. There may be chemicals in it or other bad things that could hurt your mantis.

I just figure, something that may be released back to the wild, or eaten by people, there can't be much too harmful in it? The worst would be preservatives, but I think the flies would get the worst of that? :/

Let us know how it goes.

Will do, the first few started hatching yesterday and a few more today.

i just feed mine sweet things like syrup or honey. what ar other popular gutloads?

House flies? Everything I read says they need something to start going bad. Some people put in milk and let it spoil, and even cheese or meat to let it go bad. I put in some sweet stuff as well, bits of fruit, honey and sugar, but the fruit wont go that bad very quick... the livers already smell like they are bad. Haha

 

[Paradoxica]

i just feed mine sweet things like syrup or honey. what ar other popular gutloads?

He's not asking about gutloading them, he's asking about culturing flies. So it's more about feeding the maggots.

Also i wouldn't be so sure that there is nothing bad in it, it could be completely synthetic. keep in mind that we gut fish before eating it so their product is not technically made for human consumption.

 

[Mr. Hyde]

Unless we release the fish? Perhaps I should go with the actual chicken livers? I just didn't want open meat. But yeah, I kept reading that the maggots needed stinky rotting stuff to get them to eat. Was experimenting with this. And does the food that they eat as maggots not affect their gut load? Again I am new to flies so I have questions

He's not asking about gutloading them, he's asking about culturing flies. So it's more about feeding the maggots.

Also i wouldn't be so sure that there is nothing bad in it, it could be completely synthetic. keep in mind that we gut fish before eating it so their product is not technically made for human consumption.

 

[patrickfraser]

Everything they eat as maggots gets used in the transformation from maggot to pupae to fly. When the flies hatch they are basically an empty shell with not much to them. I feed mine honey and let them get to flying and bulking up wing muscles before feeding them off.

 

[Mr. Hyde]

Ok, that is good info. I will add honey to the adult cage tonight, we have several adults hatching. I am getting more satisfied with the bait idea the more people I talk to, but I'm almost upset that the maggots gutload doesn't matter. But I will adjust and keep recording the results.

 

[Mr. Hyde]

Only update I have is that most of the pupae I put in the container have hatched, the adults are eating both honey and the catfish bait. But most importantly they are mating, so this is a good sign. A bad sign is that the honey that I mixed in with the substrate did not do it's job and I now have a little mold. No big deal, I will handle that and move on. But mating is a good sign. And Shelob seems to like them!

 

[Mr. Hyde]

As promised, an update.. so the adult flies all hatched, and mated. They laid and the maggots grew. and finally just yesterday started noticing little baby stable flies.... so small that they are getting out of the container they are in. we have a cloth mesh lid and they can squeeze through it.... but hey, one generation bred with this method