House Fly Technique

[paddythemic]

If I order housefly "pupae" will they last last longer if:

I put it all in a 12x12 plastic and netting cube, then let it all hatch. (figuring out a way to sequester them later).

or

I put most of it in the fridge and then just put pupae in my mantid habitats until they hatch as needed.

(Thanks for everyone's help by the way...)

 

[LauraMG]

Put them in the fridge and take out what you need when you need them. That's the easiest way for me.

 

[Colorcham427]

If I order housefly "pupae" will they last last longer if:

I put it all in a 12x12 plastic and netting cube, then let it all hatch. (figuring out a way to sequester them later).

or

I put most of it in the fridge and then just put pupae in my mantid habitats until they hatch as needed.

(Thanks for everyone's help by the way...)

They will last longer if you let them all hatch out in that 12x12 cube. Place a shallow cup of buttermilk powder and sugar, 50/50 ratio mixed together.

And another shallow cup of aspen fiber or wood chips, with water half way filled. The wooded pieces should be partly covering the water pool.

The flies will all hatch out, let them eat and drink etc. for a few hours. Store them in the fridge, in 1 hour you will be able to take advantage of them, knock some into a cup that you will be transporting them in. Take the netted cube out and let the remaining flies warm up and get back to eating and drinking.

Whenever you want more flies, put them in the fridge, NOT the freezer, for a solid hour. They'll become soooo lazy! lol... The lethargic stage lasts for a few minutes.

Make sure when you let them hatch in the netted cube, you have all the pupae in a cup, you don't want the pupae shells to be all over the floor when they hatch, that is an annoying mess to have to deal with when collecting them in the fridge! good luck!

 

[Rick]

They will last longer if you let them all hatch out in that 12x12 cube. Place a shallow cup of buttermilk powder and sugar, 50/50 ratio mixed together.

And another shallow cup of aspen fiber or wood chips, with water half way filled. The wooded pieces should be partly covering the water pool.

The flies will all hatch out, let them eat and drink etc. for a few hours. Store them in the fridge, in 1 hour you will be able to take advantage of them, knock some into a cup that you will be transporting them in. Take the netted cube out and let the remaining flies warm up and get back to eating and drinking.

Whenever you want more flies, put them in the fridge, NOT the freezer, for a solid hour. They'll become soooo lazy! lol... The lethargic stage lasts for a few minutes.

Make sure when you let them hatch in the netted cube, you have all the pupae in a cup, you don't want the pupae shells to be all over the floor when they hatch, that is an annoying mess to have to deal with when collecting them in the fridge! good luck!

Wow! If that works for you, more power to ya. However, you're making it far more difficult than it has to be. I have used the freezer technique for years. If you set a timer and know how long it takes, you won't kill them.

I keep the pupa in the fridge. I take out what I need to pupate. When I start running low on those I take out more pupa and put in a different 32 oz insect cup. I feed the flies honey squirted on the side of the container with a syringe. When it is time to feed mantids I put the whole container in the freezer. New flies take 4 mins to slow down. When they stop moving I can remove them from the freezer and pluck them out with long tweezers to drop into the mantid enclosures. Done! No waiting around for an hour while flies slow down in the fridge. It's all very simple.

 

[LauraMG]

I wanted to mention one other thing that I've had trouble with myself. Your fridge has to be above 40 degrees or the pupae won't make it. I've killed 2 batches of pupae that way

 

[Rick]

I wanted to mention one other thing that I've had trouble with myself. Your fridge has to be above 40 degrees or the pupae won't make it. I've killed 2 batches of pupae that way

Dang. Raise that a bit and save some money!

 

[LauraMG]

Dang. Raise that a bit and save some money!

:lol: I have now! I didn't realize because it's an apartment fridge! What a waste....

 

[LauraMG]

Dang. Raise that a bit and save some money!

:lol: I have now! I didn't realize because it's an apartment fridge! What a waste....

 

[hibiscusmile]

:blink: I'm seeing double

 

[LauraMG]

:blink: I'm seeing double

:lol: No, you're seeing just fine. I'm just an idiot today!

 

[mantisboybrandon]

Hmm what i usually do with my housefly-eating small mantids is get a common small-mesh net and net the ones outside. Its a lot cheaper and the net can be used to catch butterflies and moths later on. Is there not that many natural flies out there that you can catch? I also used to use fly swatters to "stun" the flies while still keeping them alive. Idk, not entirely on subject but just sharing another option you may have instead of having to order larva ^_^

 

[paddythemic]

I decided to keep the pupae in the fridge (40 degrees).

Every two days I take out 5 and put them in a new tiny container in the bathroom; so I can establish a rotation where a small "handleable" amount is ready to use. (no refridgeration or freezing necessary to stun them).

TWO QUESTIONS:

Approximately how long will that batch of pupae in the fridge last until they won't be able to hatch anymore?

Will a rotation method be unreliable? (will hatch time become too unpredictable?)

 

[Ghostie]

I like to use water crystals instead of water with wood chips in it. This way I don't kill any flies. More live longer this way.

Before there would always be some dead in the water cup no matter what I used as anti-drowning material. If flies get ANY water on their legs or wings, they wont fly and they die.

Water crystals can be had on ebay for $3 shipped to your door for like 2 gallons worth of crystals. I take one fair pinch of crystals and hydrate them in a small cup and dump them in the same hole int he fly container that I let the flies out when I feed them off.

Also I add new water crystals and food every two or three days when I have on of Rebeccas' large fly hatching deli cups full of flies. They live much longer like this than allowing their water and food supplies to dry up and run out. I add the food and water crystals through the hole I get the flies through, even with a full cup of flies, without releasing any.

For food I am using the blend from Mantis Place.

I found one of the best tricks to keep them alive longer is to prevent cannibalism by making sure they ALWAYS have food and water crystals.

I have held pupae in the fridge for a week with successful hatching afterward. Never tried longer yet.

 

[Rick]

I like to use water crystals instead of water with wood chips in it. This way I don't kill any flies. More live longer this way.

Before there would always be some dead in the water cup no matter what I used as anti-drowning material. If flies get ANY water on their legs or wings, they wont fly and they die.

Water crystals can be had on ebay for $3 shipped to your door for like 2 gallons worth of crystals. I take one fair pinch of crystals and hydrate them in a small cup and dump them in the same hole int he fly container that I let the flies out when I feed them off.

Also I add new water crystals and food every two or three days when I have on of Rebeccas' large fly hatching deli cups full of flies. They live much longer like this than allowing their water and food supplies to dry up and run out. I add the food and water crystals through the hole I get the flies through, even with a full cup of flies, without releasing any.

For food I am using the blend from Mantis Place.

I found one of the best tricks to keep them alive longer is to prevent cannibalism by making sure they ALWAYS have food and water crystals.

I have held pupae in the fridge for a week with successful hatching afterward. Never tried longer yet.

Almost everything you mentioned here is not needed. All they need for food/water is honey. The pupa last over a month in the fridge for me. Cannibalism? Pretty sure flies don't eat one another.

Paddythemic: only five? I take out enough so that when they eclose I have enough flies for at least a week.

I don't know, you guys seem to make this so much harder than it has to be

 

[paddythemic]

Almost everything you mentioned here is not needed. All they need for food/water is honey. The pupa last over a month in the fridge for me. Cannibalism? Pretty sure flies don't eat one another.

Paddythemic: only five? I take out enough so that when they eclose I have enough flies for at least a week.

I don't know, you guys seem to make this so much harder than it has to be

cool, if they last for a month i will continue doing it this way. i will also be upping the quantity of flies per container.

 

[Rick]

cool, if they last for a month i will continue doing it this way. i will also be upping the quantity of flies per container.

It may vary depending on your fridge temps. At that length of time you do get a lower hatch rate as time goes by. But like I said, I take out enough flies for at least a few feedings of every mantis. The flies live a long time too.

 

[Ghostie]

Cannibalism? Pretty sure flies don't eat one another.

I don't know, you guys seem to make this so much harder than it has to be

From what I have noticed is when they run out of food/water they start getting holes in wings and stop flying and start to "annoy" each other and shortly after die off. Just an observation but may not be what is actually happening.

Al I know is that if I add water crystals and this fly food, they last a good while alive in a deli cup.

They all pile around and indulge in the water crystals.

I know you have much more experience than me though so I'm sure you are right. This is just what I have experienced so far in my short time in the hobby.

 

[angelofdeathzz]

I take out 40-50 bb pupae every 5 days or so ,put them in a shallow 32oz with a small 2oz cup of water 1/3 full w/ a broke in 1/2 plastic spoon so they can get out if they fall in, and a large 1oz bottle cap filled with a honey80% and bee pollen20% mix. it has a hole w/ foam stopper that I remove and quickly put a upside down ff bottle over it and wait 30-40 sec. to fill with 5-6 flies then its feeding time without any refrigeration needed. works very well for me and is quite easy,I've had flies fall in the water when they were put in the fridge, plus picking up every fly with tongs gets old quick.

 

[Ghostie]

I have also found refrigerating live flies unnecessary using my sisters' fly transfer techniques. (Thanks sis!)

With a cup full of flies you put a hole in it with a foam stopper. When you need one, remove the foam stopper and put a 1/4oz cup over the hole and wait for a fly to fly in. Then slide the cup to the side and cover the hole back up with the foam stopper. Lift the cup my sliding a piece of paper under it and you have a fly in a tiny cup and no escapees.

Now you just put this tiny cup over your mantis cage hole and in it goes for din din.