Is setting up a fruit fly culture hard?

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Qwiggalo said:
Recipe:

1/4 c. Mashed Potato Flakes- choose the least expensive brand you can find

1 T. Powdered Sugar

1 T. Brewer's Yeast (optional)

Sprinkle of Dry Active Yeast

1/4 c. white vinegar

1/4 c. hot water
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Brewers Yeast is actually the key ingredient in most FF Medias it is what makes them produce so well.

FlyCafe has a good media, as does Repashy but I make my own, its better anyways. But most depend on Brewers Yeast. My media is producing cups full of maggots that are pupating at about 11 days.

 
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yes, to soon, should be any time now to see the maggots.

ps. I have brewers yeast on my site for those who want some.

 
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JTHMfreak said:
Yeah, but I was curious to see how well and long they would hold up for. Plus I had already made everything. Can excelsior be washed off and reused?
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I wouldn't recommend it, reusing materials that cannot be properly sanitized is begging for a mite infestation. Excelsior is dirt cheap anyway, not worth the effort even if it could be salvaged.

 
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I use the best excelsior I can find, and trust me its not the stuff that mushes up and gets real nasty but you couldn't pay me to try and take it out the cup and wash it......

Tony is right some things just are not worth it, your risking many things even a mold allergy should your cultures have mold like many peoples get.

 
Excelsior is the main item which brings in mites. As you notice in my feedback, my cultures have no mites, that for three reasons, one I do not use in cultures until they ship, 2 I do not keep them long enough to let them even start, oh and 3, they set on mite paper all the time.

 
Excelsior is easy to keep mite free, just microwave or bake it before use. You could technically quick dip in in boiling water as well to sterilize it and let it cool if your in a climate where your cultures normally dry out this will help keep moisture in the cup.

 
hibiscusmile said:
Excelsior is the main item which brings in mites. As you notice in my feedback, my cultures have no mites, that for three reasons, one I do not use in cultures until they ship, 2 I do not keep them long enough to let them even start, oh and 3, they set on mite paper all the time.
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Rebecca - Where does one find mite paper?

 
I have it on my site, but the manufacturer says it is in the dollar stores, but I can't find it there, maybe I don't look in the right places, but reguardless I had to order thru them.

 
Bug Trader said:
Brewers Yeast is actually the key ingredient in most FF Medias it is what makes them produce so well.

FlyCafe has a good media, as does Repashy but I make my own, its better anyways. But most depend on Brewers Yeast. My media is producing cups full of maggots that are pupating at about 11 days.
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On the recipe it says that Brewers Yeast is optional, yet you are saying that it's the key ingredient, :huh: which to me doesn't really make it optional. So which is it, optional ingredient or key ingredient? (Trying to learn something cuz I gotta start some cultures quick! Like yesterday. lol :lol: )

 
I like the Massa mix. There's a whole thread on here somewhere with the recipe.

I also prefer using excelsior the coffee filters can sometimes just get in the way for me anyway.

 
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