Freezing flys?

[[email protected]]

Well i only have 10 mantis now and they can't eat all of the flies i have ordered (went out today and 80% are dead!!!). So i was wondering if i got the live ones and popped them in the freezer but like normal didn’t set a timer and just left them would they stay "good". I am fine with hand feeding it just seems like such a waste like 100+ flies dead.

 

[Rick]

Sure, if you want dead frozen flies. But knowing flies they may thaw out and be ok. Try a few.

 

[spicey]

Well i only have 10 mantis now and they can't eat all of the flies i have ordered (went out today and 80% are dead!!!). So i was wondering if i got the live ones and popped them in the freezer but like normal didn’t set a timer and just left them would they stay "good". I am fine with hand feeding it just seems like such a waste like 100+ flies dead.

I don't think the flies would recover from a deep freeze.

What type of flies are they and how big are your mantids? If you only have 100 flies, and 10 mantids, I would think you would be able to use most of the flies up before they die. Are you giving your flies some food? They do need a carbohydrate source just to survive. Some flies can live for up to about a month I believe. Most house flies live for several days at the least. Maybe you could use the excess flies that you have to start a fly culture.

 

[hibiscusmile]

Yea it is possible, but most unlikely, did u try just hatching about a dozen at a time? U can also hatch them all in a container and feed them, flies live for about 28 days when fed. U do know to keep them in the warmest part of your refridgerator until u want to hatch them? They usually take 4 days to hatch once taken out.

 

[revmdn]

I keep my adult flies in the frigde all the time, till feeding time that is. And it works well for me. Almost no fly deaths.

 

[Katnapper]

If I have excess flies hatched, I just keep them in net cages and feed them honey, and mist lightly about once a day. They stay alive quite a while (up to a month), and are gutloaded with the honey too.

 

[Rick]

If I have excess flies hatched, I just keep them in net cages and feed them honey, and mist lightly about once a day. They stay alive quite a while (up to a month), and are gutloaded with the honey too.

What I do minus the net cage and water.

 

[[email protected]]

LOl….. No i was not expecting them to come out alive after weeks in the freezer. I was think if i put them in their let them die and freeze solid then when i need them take some out let their lifeless bodies thaw then hand feed them to my mantis dead. And I feed and water my flies they made it 21 or so.

 

[hibiscusmile]

have u tried the freeze dried method? if not let us know how it works.

 

[[email protected]]

No not yet but i will put some in later today.

 

[agent A]

don't freeze them, they won't come back. I've experienced it myself.

 

[[email protected]]

I know bugs+cold= Frozen lifeless bodies, It did work for a few days but then I ran out of my frozen flies but my male barks did not complain.

 

[PhilinYuma]

I know bugs+cold= Frozen lifeless bodies, It did work for a few days but then I ran out of my frozen flies but my male barks did not complain.

Is the winter mild enough where you live for houseflies to continue to be available? If not, p.m. me. We can't let anything bad happen to Golden!