house fly pupae

[PeterF]

I have been playing around with Phil's dogfood - house fly reccomendations (though poorly, between real experiments).

More about that later, as he has requested people to comment on their experiences.

But, in short, I have been getting and emerging pupae.

I picked them out of the dogfood on sunday, and they've been doing well all week.

My main question is how do you keep them? Specifically, are they in much danger of drying out?

I lack sawdust, which I think is what they are shipped in if you order them? I used coconut fiber that was just lightly damp, and have been trying to keep it there. But if they could dry out it would be a lot easier on me.

As I have had approximately 80 emerge this week I can't suppose they need anything else.

Else, in attempting to look this up online I stumbled across this page:

http://www.rinconvitova.com/flies%20for%20animal%20food.htm

specifically;

"At Rincon-Vitova we rear house fly larva on a mixture of bran, milk and live yeast. "

Is it possible they are getting the fly to lay in that? Or that they are transferring the eggs from meat? Suspect it's dry milk?

Otherwise it sounds like a breakfast left out and the dogfood may be more pleasant.

 

[GreenOasis]

I would imagine it's the protein they're after...and milk is an animal-based protein, so...in theory, it could work. You might try a few different mixtures and see how they fare (please keep us updated!) I, too, am experimenting with rearing houseflies on a small-scale, but experimenting more with fruit fly mixes. So far, the more basic mixes are seeming to yield better results (the added protein powder may make the mix smell better, but it doesn't seem to help with production!)

-Carey Kurtz-

Green Oasis Reptiles

 

[PhilinYuma]

KovaAlthough HFs do not need fresh meat to induce egg laying,

they do appear to need some kind of protein, like that found in dog or cat food. Carolina sells a classroom HF growing kit in which the substrate is essentially potato flakes and active yeast (i.e. FF medium), but they instruct teachers to put fresh maggots on it, as it will not induce the flies to lay -- I tried; they failed.

I have always read and stated that it is necessary to provide a little meat, one mashed chicken liver is enough, to stimulate egg laying in flesh flies like blue and green bottles, but now, I'm not so sure, so I've set up a cube with the HF substrate and no liver. We shall see!

Who said that life couldn't still be exciting after 70?

And yes, the pupae survive very nicely until eclosure, as you seem to have discovered. I am extremely pleased, Peter, that the breeding experiment has gone so well for you!

 

[Pet Duck Boy]

Hey Phil, so now that I have my ghosts I would like to try the small-scale HF rearing, before they dissapear for the winter. Does dry dog-food work? This is what I have so far - Dry dog food, chicken feed, and fleischmann's active yeast. (I'll probably get chicken liver later) Now for 4 ghosts I don't need a lot, just something that will produce over the next cool months. This mixture also should attract the wild flies...so, would this mix do just that?

 

[PeterF]

http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=17274&st=0&p=132171&hl=fruit&fromsearch=1entry132171

That's one of the two posts of Phil's I combed for the house fly event. I don't have the link to the other one. I suggest reading them both.

The dog food should be enough meat like (when moist) to get the flies to lay (worked for me).

Keeping in mind this was inside a cage with no where else to lay.

If it is enough to attract wild flies is an interesting question, I do not know if anyone knows that.

But I will bet dollars to donuts that it will attract skunks, raccoons, and pretty much anything else that scavenges if you leave it outside.