Ideas Please

[Precious]

How do you feed your flies honey without them getting stuck in it? Mine are starting to hatch out and it just occurred to me that if I just put a glob of honey in the container, they'd probably get stuck - like fly paper?

Any special tips/techniques/advice?

 

[asdsdf]

From all of the research about how gross flies are, I learned from all of the places that you need something for them to stand on. Some say mesh, another, big wood chips, and so on. The possibilities are endless. :wink:

 

[Precious]

Hey Jasper. I'm not "raising" them believe me! I just thought I'd load 'em with honey before feeding to my bugs. Hoping the great wisdom of the forum will have a great tip.

 

[asdsdf]

Well, even when not raising them, you can use that same method. It's to prevent them from getting stuck. Also, Nick sells dried food at mantisplace. I think it's dried honey and other goodies.

Aren't I "great wisdom" too?

 

[Kriss]

I've fed flies hunny without them getting stuck in it.

I put out a small dish with a blob of hunny and they feed from it without getting stuck.

 

[robo mantis]

You could dilute the honey with some water.

 

[Nick Barta]

I have tried several barriers to keep the flies from getting stuck in the honey, and the most effective was the plastic grid. The grid slanted in a 2 ounce serving up keeps most (but not all) from the "honey pit." I use the dry food mostly, and shake the feeders in Yens Blend which has powdered crystallized honey in it.

For moisture I do NOT like water, as it invariably spills, and makes a fly soup. I use cricket cubes from the pet store.

You can see the Cup-o-Flies to see how the flies are housed and how the grid lays in the portion cup, and the grid is under General Supplies.

Although it takes longer, if you really want honey in your mantis, use a bamboo skewer and wipe it on the forarms, they will clean it off. I add Yens Blend to it so they get bee pollen at the same time.

CHEERS!!!

NIck Barta

Mantisplace.com

 

[Rick]

My flies are in 32 oz deli cups with a hole cut in the side plugged with a foam plug. I use a syringe full of honey and just squirt a large drop on top of the foam plug. Never had an issue with flies drowning in it. You're probably feeding too much honey.

 

[mrblue]

i use honey soaked bread.i imagine honey soaked tissue would be ok too.

ps - seriously, use the search feature, i know for a fact this has been discussed muliple times.

 

[Precious]

Okay. I put a dime sized drop of honey in the fly enclosure and two flies immediately perished. Thanks for all the ideas, i think I might try dry stuff. I'm so commercial!