Flysharing

[PeterF]

As you may have noticed. The huge portion of buying house flies is shipping.

Has anyone seen a website where a bunch of people in the same city can get together on a subscription? You know, order 1k flies a month (or more, or whatever) pay only one shipping cost and split them?

I could probably round something out on Craig's list. but I though such a site might exist.

Else/Also. I might be able to talk my local pet shop into such a thing. Basically it would be cash up front for the pet shop. I don't know how a group of civilians would do it. Maybe the person placing the order, receiving the flies and separating them would pay a little less. But that basically each person would pay half up front half on delivery.

Anyway, I'm just babbling. Anyone know a website that might do meet ups like this? Or have suggestions for me in pitching this to my pet shop?

It's mostly moot, as the breeding adventure has taken an upswing.

 

[hibiscusmile]

I try not to look at buying flies as anything other than having to do it. A lot of people do not like the fact that shipping is more than the flies, but the post charges for it and if you think about it, if the grocery store did not sell bread, and you just had to have some for that wonderful B.L.T. you were hungry for, then you would have to pay for shipping and even though u did not like it, u would do so to feed that hunger.

 

[more_rayne]

I like your idea Peter, where are you located?

I would love some BBs, but I simply don't buy them because of shipping.

 

[GreenOasis]

I try not to look at buying flies as anything other than having to do it. A lot of people do not like the fact that shipping is more than the flies, but the post charges for it and if you think about it, if the grocery store did not sell bread, and you just had to have some for that wonderful B.L.T. you were hungry for, then you would have to pay for shipping and even though u did not like it, u would do so to feed that hunger.

LOL...I would just MAKE the bread! (Oh, yeah...still trying my hand at fly breeding too!)

 

[Colorcham427]

This is exactly what I do with crickets, since I have a friend in my local area whom breeds crickets at a massive amount.

BB's I re-sell for a tiny profit. House flies on the other hand aren't nearly as easy as BB's to post pone hatching without major die offs.

I would love it if I had several people in the area who would be up for meeting up and splitting a few Kilos.

If I order house fly pupae on a Sunday, have it shipped out Monday for Wednesday arrival, split it up in time to ship it out on Wednesday for Friday arrival, the pupae shouldn't hatch due to the cold weather.

I honestly wouldn't ask for a higher price, in fact, I would prove how much it cost for the total including shipping. If any persons on here are willing to try this out with me let me know. Buying a Kilo of house flies is cheap!!! And you will always have extra if you hatch them all the same day.

 

[Katnapper]

It would be great if you could find local people or a business to go in on them with you. The problem is that relatively few people in these hobbies that use those types of feeders live in close proximity to each other; and most shops either have their own suppliers they are required to use, or they don't want to go in on feeders with you because their aim is for you to buy them from them so they can make money from you (not split the costs/profit). It couldn't hurt at all to advertise your proposition on Craigslist, a pet shop bulletin board, or any other similar avenue. And it can't hurt to contact your local pet shops and ask... all they can say is "no." Finding a feeder buying partner/s may be difficult if not impossible... but you never know unless you try.

Some (me included) have tried to go in on feeders with someone else who wasn't local (one person buys them, then ships some to the other person, splitting up the cost of the bulk purchase). But then you have the hassles of ordering and getting the feeders at the same time you both need them, re-packaging and distributing/shipping, additional shipping time (could be critical in shipping pupae close to hatching), figuring costs, and getting reimbursed for the other parties part. Unless you're someone like Rebecca, who has a dedicated business selling feeders, this scenario is just too much of a hassle.

 

[Termite48]

Peter: As long as I am buying ooths from you, I thought to ask you a novice's question about feeding larger nymphs blue bottle flies. Cannot one put the flies into the freezer to numb them as one does with FFs? This would do away with the need for a vacumn or something equally as cumbersome.

Just a dumb question,

Rich Sekerman

 

[hibiscusmile]

I haven't tried it, but don't recommend it , the fridge only takes a few minutes and if u forget them, they won't die because of it, where as the freezer they would.

 

[PeterF]

Rich,

BeckBeck is right about the fridge being safer. I do use the freezer, I have a timer (and once in a while I tell the timer beep "just a minute" and an hour later my flies are dead).

I actually use the freezer for a minute and the fridge for 15 minutes plus.

But most importantly, to keep in mind that time in the freezer is variable based on the container you are using (do some experiments!)

Lastly, you certainly don't need to buy things from me to ask me question. But in general questions to the whole forum are suggested. There's a lot of info out there.

 

[Rick]

Good idea if you have a bunch of people in the same city who needs flies. I don't know anyone around here that I could share flies with.

 

[dgerndt]

Luckily I have a fellow forum member living in the same city as me so we've done the same thing with fruit fly cultures before. It's a great idea and a great way to save on shipping.