Houseflies

[nebrakacinese]

I just started using houseflies from Mantis Place,the pupae any how,just wondering if any one knows how long can they be kept in the fridge and remain viable it's so easy feeding them and my mantids love them so much I'm gonna continue to use them.

 

[PhilinYuma]

Don't try to keep them in the fridge for more than two weeks. Keep them in the outside shelf thingy and take them out for a cuppla hours every few days.

If adults are kept in a cage of their own that is kept warm and slighlty humid, they should last 2-4 weeks provided that you feed them. Traditional sugar and water tends to clump up when they spit on it. I suggest that you make up 1/2 cup of potato flakes, and sugar and active yeast and 1/2 cup water (it will give off carbon dioxide, so let it stand for a few hours and stir it. Put it in a shallow tray and mist it when you mist the enclosure. Keep what you are not using in a ziplock bag in the freezer. Good luck!

 

[nebrakacinese]

Thank you Philun willdo

 

[sporeworld]

Hey, Phil! There doesn't seem to be much difference in the food you just described and one of the receipes for Fruit Fly medium. Are the ratios different, or can leftover medium be used as HF food...?

 

[PhilinYuma]

Hey, Phil! There doesn't seem to be much difference in the food you just described and one of the receipes for Fruit Fly medium. Are the ratios different, or can leftover medium be used as HF food...?

Yep, it's pretty much a small batch of FF medium! Trouble is that it dries out if you are not careful, Since writing that, I've come across a great HF feeding medium from a "fellow enthusiast" who uses a gelatine and sugar concoction. He sent me some and there's no doubt that the flies like it, but I need to work on it a bit to get the proportions right. When I do, I'll post.

 

[sporeworld]

Yeah - I was thinking either something like thin Jello shots, or granola would work. Just something NOT powder. I'd like to drop it in the enclosure, or better yet - dangle it from the fly-port. Let us know how it goes...

BTW, I made my very first Fruit Fly culture the other day. Spent more time playin with food color than anything else. Lovely pink (yeah - I'm a guy - so what) and lime green medium. Everyone thought I was making a cake.... one that smelled suspiciously like peanuts (Brewers Yeast).

 

[sporeworld]

BTW (2), for fun, take one of the flys from the fridge with tweezer (an essential tool), grabbing just one wing. The flailing and fluttering are irresitible to most of my mantids. It's my favorite way to hand feed them.