Culture.... but no flies.

[Mantis_Whisper]

I got a culture ages ago from Nick.

It was going great and I had so many flies but now there's none at all. I saw about seven the other day but I guess they died. There's about half the food left too. There's no flies and one thing I noticed are there's really tiny bugs. They're white and about the size of a peroid mabye even smaller.

Anyone delt with this before? I want to know if I have to get a new culture.

 

[Rick]

Sounds like you have mites in the culture. I got them once or twice when I first started keeping fruitflies a few years ago. Never had em since. All cultures stop producing new flies after while. Before they do I start a new one and the cycle continues. You will not want to start a new culture from your current one due to the mites.

 

[Mantis_Whisper]

Sounds like you have mites in the culture. I got them once or twice when I first started keeping fruitflies a few years ago. Never had em since. All cultures stop producing new flies after while. Before they do I start a new one and the cycle continues. You will not want to start a new culture from your current one due to the mites.

Alright Thank you.

I guess I'll be cleaning it out and using if for whatever.

 

[Ian]

I find that mites do not always kill off the culture if they are in small numbers (although they will multiply).

How long have you had the culture?

 

[Ben.M]

I've got loads of the lil white things in my culture, no wonder i've only got 2 maggots :lol:

 

[Rick]

Well......like I said. Throw that out and start fresh. Get rid of that container or at least clean it well.

 

[Red]

and some method to kill the mites?

my cultures breed it too... <_<

thanks

 

[Mantis_Whisper]

Well......like I said. Throw that out and start fresh. Get rid of that container or at least clean it well.

I'm in the middle of doing the distgusting task of cleaning out my cultures. Bleh.

where do you get your cultures Rick?

 

[Galactic Lord Xenu]

Can the mites hurt mantids?

 

[OGIGA]

I'm in the middle of doing the distgusting task of cleaning out my cultures. Bleh.where do you get your cultures Rick?

Why clean the cultures? I'd just start over with a new container.

 

[Mantis_Whisper]

Why clean the cultures? I'd just start over with a new container.

I use them as cages for my mantids after throughly cleaning them. then I remove the fabric part and glue wire mesh on it.

I'm short on cages and really cheap so I bacisally recyle my clutures and old bottles.

 

[OGIGA]

I'm short on cages and really cheap so I bacisally recyle my clutures and old bottles.

I use empty water bottles to culture FFs. You'll see them in a few hours.

 

[Mantis_Whisper]

I use empty water bottles to culture FFs. You'll see them in a few hours.

That's a pretty smart idea. how do you vent it though?

OH! I got the parcel but it's at my father's office, so I should be getting it in a hour or so. I'll PM about how everything went.

 

[OGIGA]

OH! I got the parcel but it's at my father's office, so I should be getting it in a hour or so. I'll PM about how everything went.

Awesome! Hope they're doing great!

That's a pretty smart idea. how do you vent it though?

You'll see. Okay, I know everybody else wants to know. I use a razor to cut a hole through the cap and hot-glue a screen or something similar over the hole.

 

[Mantis_Whisper]

Awesome! Hope they're doing great!You'll see. Okay, I know everybody else wants to know. I use a razor to cut a hole through the cap and hot-glue a screen or something similar over the hole.

I finally got them. They're all doing great and they're all very hyper. I'm onlt worried about one cause he holds his leg up all the time, hopefully that will fix itself with time.

I saw, very nice. Thank you so much for the extra cultures!

 

[OGIGA]

I finally got them. They're all doing great and they're all very hyper. I'm onlt worried about one cause he holds his leg up all the time, hopefully that will fix itself with time.I saw, very nice. Thank you so much for the extra cultures!

You're welcome. I hope he will fix himself too. In fact, the mantis you see on my avatar was doing that a few weeks after he became an adult. Then, he fixed himself. Actually, here's his picture...

 

[Mantis_Whisper]

You're welcome. I hope he will fix himself too. In fact, the mantis you see on my avatar was doing that a few weeks after he became an adult. Then, he fixed himself. Actually, here's his picture...

Yep that's what mine is doing. He probably will fix his leg. But thank you so much for the orchids. I've been wanting some for ages but everyone I asked was not selling or had none left. It was getting quite depressing.

I'll inform you when his leg gets fixed.

 

[OGIGA]

You are very welcome. Glad you got what you wanted! :lol:

 

[Mantis_Whisper]

You are very welcome. Glad you got what you wanted! :lol:

Yep.