I just got a ton of nymphs (11, to be exact). I ordered D. hydei from mantispets for them but I wasn't thinking - they only ship on Monday and Wednesday. So, I went to Petco yesterday to pick up a D. mel culture, since mine is failing and the flies are tiny, and theirs were all pretty much dead. Ack! I'm having a fly crisis and they said NO to tiny mealworms. Do I need to drive all the way to Nashville today or is there some alternative? I'm worried I'll call some pet store an hour and a half away and they'll say, sure! we have flies, and I'll drive there and they'll all be dead like the half hour drive I took yesterday for Petco's dead flies. I probably have enough D. mel to get them thru to Monday. Maybe. Argh.
Flies...
- Thread starter Chivalry
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angelofdeathzz
Well-known member
You could try tiny pieces of banana coated in honey on a toothpick, put it to there mouth and see if some take it?
put a few flies in, u will be surprised at how fast they adapt to them. only start with a few.
Termite48
Well-known member
Depending on the species of mantid you have, some do not need the small melanogaster. You can feed D. hydeis right away to larger L-1s. One a warm day, you might be able to snag some wild fruit flies. You can even make some wild fruit fly lures.
You could put a live plant in the terrarium, one thats fairly forgiving
Overwater it a little and keep the enclosure humid, should stay some fungus gnats.. tiny mantis who can't get a group on melos love em
Overwater it a little and keep the enclosure humid, should stay some fungus gnats.. tiny mantis who can't get a group on melos love em
Ah! I was wondering what those critters in the big terrarium were. I've caught a few and fed them to the little guys.
I think I wiped out the melanogaster culture today, but thankfully we've had some warm weather and I turned on the porch light tonight and went hunting... surely my neighbors think the lady standing on a chair on her porch with the little cup and piece of paper is psychotic. I scored a moth and a couple of smaller critters though, and the kids are fed.
Ya I've got hydei ordered... will work for sinensis when they hatch, yes? If so I think we'll be good to go for everyone with the bigger FFs.
I shall search for how to make a fruit fly lure, but tips would be appreciated.
Termite48
Well-known member
All kinds of things will work to lure and help you catch wild fruit flies. The one thing that lures them easily as I understand from my neighbor is the leftover beer and the bottom of the can. Then it becomes a problem of getting them caught. I use a small sample cup like you get at the take out places for salsa and the like. You place a slice of ripe banana at the bottom of the cup, and place that on piece of cardboard or stiff card stock. Then over that you place a larger cup like a 16 oz dixie cup. Set it up so that when the flies are all over the lure, then you can easily trap them by moving just slightly the larger cup so it slams down tightly over the card stock and entraps the sample cup flies and all. This works of course where there are flies in the area due to either a trash can which is smelling attactive or a box of recycle cans with beer and soda residues. Good luck.
Rich
Rich
Could we get a video of the lady with a cup? :kiss:
Psychobunny
Well-known member
Exactly. I was amazed the first time I saw a tiny nymph take down a house fly several times
larger then it was!!
lancaster1313
Likebugs (site changed my name😐)
:lol: You aren't the only one.
Soon, I am moving to your state, so you won't be the only one in TN, as well.
