Fruit fly culture mix
- Thread starter Peloquin
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Ian
Well-known member
I think this post already exists....
lorriekay56
Well-known member
You can make your own. cover the jar with netting. ( I use knee high stockings)
lorriekay56
Well-known member
Culture mix:
1 cup of mashed potatoes, 2 tbp. sugar and a pinch of YEAST.
garbonzo13
Well-known member
Will it mold? If it does what do you do for that?
I've got a huge jar of mold inhibitor you're welcome to buy cheap. I was sold on the mold inhibitor for many years but two years ago I stopped using it and it didn't make a difference.
1/2 cup instant potato flakes
1/2 cup water. The amount of water is adjusted depending on your ambient humidity and airflow. Somewhat dry medium slows and stops fly production while too much moisture and all the medium falls out when you try to shake out the flies.
Put mixture in a large deli cup (32oz?) covered with a coffee filter or prefab filter lid and place a 1" slice of apple on top of the potato.
Fruit flies can breed at lower temps but 80-90F will improve production.
When the first puparium is seen take 1 paper towel, make into a ball and toss on medium. Production if often very low without this because many puparium and adults drown sight unseen. The larger species, D.hydei is kept the same but is much slower.
1/2 cup instant potato flakes
1/2 cup water. The amount of water is adjusted depending on your ambient humidity and airflow. Somewhat dry medium slows and stops fly production while too much moisture and all the medium falls out when you try to shake out the flies.
Put mixture in a large deli cup (32oz?) covered with a coffee filter or prefab filter lid and place a 1" slice of apple on top of the potato.
Fruit flies can breed at lower temps but 80-90F will improve production.
When the first puparium is seen take 1 paper towel, make into a ball and toss on medium. Production if often very low without this because many puparium and adults drown sight unseen. The larger species, D.hydei is kept the same but is much slower.
garbonzo13
Well-known member
Orin, whats the papertowel for? Easy transfer to another container to increase culture production? thanks for the info.
Executor of Fruit Flies
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Copied from a previous post:
I'm currently trying out apple vinegar as an inhibitor. Any vinegar will work though. It seems to work fine. It's been two weeks and no mold. I just didn't want to mail order for anything right now. The recipe I'm using, from anaspid.org, is:
1 cup banana
1 cup apple sauce
2 cups oatmeal
1 tablespoon vinegar
Just mash it all up together real good. Production isn't as good as the store bought culture I had before, but probably because I used netting instead of paper towels as extra climbing/pupating space.
Edit: replaced netting with paper towels and production increased significantly.
I like to use gatorade bottles with a piece of sponge on the top, as I find this easier to work with than a deli cup with a circular sponge stopper.
I'm currently trying out apple vinegar as an inhibitor. Any vinegar will work though. It seems to work fine. It's been two weeks and no mold. I just didn't want to mail order for anything right now. The recipe I'm using, from anaspid.org, is:
1 cup banana
1 cup apple sauce
2 cups oatmeal
1 tablespoon vinegar
Just mash it all up together real good. Production isn't as good as the store bought culture I had before, but probably because I used netting instead of paper towels as extra climbing/pupating space.
Edit: replaced netting with paper towels and production increased significantly.
I like to use gatorade bottles with a piece of sponge on the top, as I find this easier to work with than a deli cup with a circular sponge stopper.
