How I make fruit fly medium!

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It makes me laugh that its impossible to order flying fruit flies in the UK lol..Is that silly or what?
Well then why dont you just mix them and make your own Scott? then you can just stick a viable culture in your mantis tent and as they hatch out of pupation... viola... never ending all you can eat buffet for your mantis.

 
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Hi everyone!

I'm busy working on a new & approved MASA medium, I'm trying to take the vinegar out. So far the new tests are going well & I have noticed no mildew. But at the moment I still use my original medium with vinegar.

 
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Hi everyone!I'm busy working on a new & approved MASA medium, I'm trying to take the vinegar out. So far the new tests are going well & I have noticed no mildew. But at the moment I still use my original medium with vinegar.
How come you are trying to take your vinegar out?

The only drawback to this recipe is it seems like the medium dries out pretty fast. I put less masa in this time, so it's kind of runny, but it hasn't started drying out in the first week it was made. So far so good.

 
I would say I'm doing more so for the fun than anything. The vinegar works very well & I still use it. But you are right about the medium drying out to fast, I too add less masa & I add just a little bit more apple sauces. It has been working wonderfully with the two species.

I have not needed to buy a new culture in 6 months now & the flies are still producing like crazy. ;)

How come you are trying to take your vinegar out?The only drawback to this recipe is it seems like the medium dries out pretty fast. I put less masa in this time, so it's kind of runny, but it hasn't started drying out in the first week it was made. So far so good.
 
I'd like a vinegar-less recipe. :) I walked by my cup yesterday, got a whiff of the mix, and couldn't immediately tell where the odor was coming from. It gets bad.

 
I have found a new fungicide. I will be adding this strait to the MASA, so all you have to do is add the applesauce & the yeast. No vinegar needed.

I'd like a vinegar-less recipe. :) I walked by my cup yesterday, got a whiff of the mix, and couldn't immediately tell where the odor was coming from. It gets bad.
 
I added a bit less masa and the culture seems to runny this time. I can't seem to get it right... oh well, only one fly has drowned at the moment. Hopefully the maggots will be alright in this media.

 
I have found a new fungicide. I will be adding this strait to the MASA, so all you have to do is add the applesauce & the yeast. No vinegar needed.
Want to give us a hint as to what the new fungicide is? :) I wouldn't mind experimenting, myself.

 
My culture is crammed with magots and casters..I mean really cramed..its gone nuts.i started with about 40 flys and theres so many maggots in there im amazed,trouble is i can see half the food is gone allready.its been about 12 days mayby sinse i made it..i guees next time i need to make one with more food.

 
I fill the 32 ounce deli cups about 1/3 of the way full--Maybe between 1/4 and 1/3 full. I think these cultures last longer but don't produce exactly as fast as the ones the commercial providers sell. Like I orderd one from Josh's frogs and it smelled like cinnamon and was real dark. It produced like crazy but contained less media than I usually put in them so it's running out faster. Also, it's beginning to smell strongly like dirt so I guess they know how long you'll be able to keep it according to smell and only fill it accordingly, lol.

 
I fill the 32 ounce deli cups about 1/3 of the way full--Maybe between 1/4 and 1/3 full. I think these cultures last longer but don't produce exactly as fast as the ones the commercial providers sell. Like I orderd one from Josh's frogs and it smelled like cinnamon and was real dark. It produced like crazy but contained less media than I usually put in them so it's running out faster. Also, it's beginning to smell strongly like dirt so I guess they know how long you'll be able to keep it according to smell and only fill it accordingly, lol.
yer i filled up the deli cup 1/8 of the way :lol: il make sure i put more in next time :lol: :blink: :rolleyes:

 
Can i add just regular mashed apples instead of apple souce? Or there is something more in the apple souce, so I have to buy it?

And I think I will try it with corn flour instead of Masa ;)

 
Can i add just regular mashed apples instead of apple souce? Or there is something more in the apple souce, so I have to buy it?And I think I will try it with corn flour instead of Masa ;)
Apple sauce has sugar added.

 
When I bought my apple sauce, there was a kind that's "regular" and a kind with no sugar added. I got the kind with no sugar added. I don't know if there's anything else added,

 
im getting such good results with potato and yeast i cant see any mix being better than this one.the maggots and casters i have is incredible.Theres so many.iv never bought a culture as packed as this one i made,i will try the masa mix tho soon as it arives in the post.any day now. :)

 
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