Hydei fruit fly culture experiment

[patrickfraser]

I am doing a little experiment with hydei fruit flies. I took out too many fruit flies from a culture on the 13th and didn't want to mix up new medium to start a single culture. So.....I just went to my backyard where we have an orange tree that drops oranges all the time. I just grabbed an orange, sliced it in half, sprinkled on some yeast, and put it in a 32oz cup like my other fruit fly cultures with excelsior. I see some maggots and pupae, but not too many. It might be the amount of fruit flies I originally added is less than a regular culture. I was seeing if it could work. I guess it can. :clap:

This is what it has become. It has mold, but the wild fruit flies seem to manage fine with just the rotting oranges when outside.

I decided to try 3 more cultures the same way, only with more flies and more orange. I will be making a couple regular cultures to compare the results. This is the 3 new ones I started today. I even went really cheap by not using excelsior, but shredded raffia. I think each culture took 2 strips pulled apart into thinner strips.

 

[agent A]

i just shred up an apple, mix it with OJ vinegar and oatmeal, let it sit a few days, and it functions like a nice ff culture

 

[patrickfraser]

If this works, I think this is as simple as it gets. No mixing or measuring required. AND...I have an endless supply of oranges at my disposal. so practically free, too

 

[agent A]

If this works, I think this is as simple as it gets. No mixing or measuring required. AND...I have an endless supply of oranges at my disposal. so practically free, too

does it produce good sized flies though? my method does not

 

[patrickfraser]

I don't know yet. That is why it is an "experiment". :smarty: :lol:

 

[angelofdeathzz]

From what I know the larvae are the ones that eat the culture mix not the adults they want the yeast, soaking the orange slices in a vinegar bowl real quick and just reusing the bowl may help with mold and other things as well.

Hope it works 4 ya.

 

[patrickfraser]

From what I know the larvae are the ones that eat the culture mix not the adults they want the yeast, soaking the orange slices in a vinegar bowl real quick and just reusing the bowl may help with mold and other things as well.

Hope it works 4 ya.

Do you mean like cleaning the orange with vinegar first? Too late this time, but if results are workable I will definitely throw it into the routine. Thanks for the insight.

 

[Precarious]

Well, they are FRUIT flies! I hope this does work. Would be great!

 

[Mime454]

I'm sure you could make a culture on your thumbnail too! :nuke:

 

[Mime454]

From what I know the larvae are the ones that eat the culture mix not the adults they want the yeast, soaking the orange slices in a vinegar bowl real quick and just reusing the bowl may help with mold and other things as well.

Hope it works 4 ya.

I put yeast in my Melanogaster media from Josh's frogs and it molded completely w/ in a week. Too much yeast, or am I doing it wrong?

 

[angelofdeathzz]

Yeah Joshs is what I use and I LOVE it, don't add anything to that but hot water, more yeast will make mold, I do add 4-5 drops of vinegar to make no mold ever 4 sure and 1 teaspoon honey for them to eat and it also helps with mold, some people don't no that about honey.

 

[Rick]

When you try to get them out the fruit may crush quite a few. Despite all these recipes I think I will stick to the easy, non molding, commercial medium.

 

[agent A]

When you try to get them out the fruit may crush quite a few. Despite all these recipes I think I will stick to the easy, non molding, commercial medium.

Hey Rick

U forgot an adjective for the commercial stuff

EXPENSIVE!!!

 

[Malakyoma]

So far my oats, OJ, honey, and vinegar recipe is working well.

 

[patrickfraser]

I'm sure you could make a culture on your thumbnail too! :nuke:

Nice jab. I knew somebody would say something (...not saying you're somebody. :tt2: ). My hands get pretty worked when stripping and working copper wire into exquisite jewelry items. I can deal with it, so you should get over it.

I put yeast in my Melanogaster media from Josh's frogs and it molded completely w/ in a week. Too much yeast, or am I doing it wrong?

Who cares? Maybe it's Karma??????