Need Fly Help

[QiGongGuy]

:? Having trouble with feeding flies to my orchids. I tried the freeze technique but then a bunch of pupae fell in too. I tried using a funnel into the mantis cage but they just stayed in the funnel. My grandma gets really pissed at me when they get out so could someone please help?! By the way anyone ever heard of or have flightless flies? Do they exist?

 

[HempKnight]

Yes, Flightless fruit flies do exist. We sell them at my store. You could always feed your orchids outside that way if any get out its not a big deal.

 

[Rick]

Are you talking about houseflies or bluebottles? If so there is an easy way that I use. I put the container with the flies into the freezer for a few minutes or until the flies quit moving so much. Then I open the container and using a long pair of tweezers I pick out the flies and put them in the mantis enclosure. Nothing hard about it.

 

[bubforever]

How big is your mantis? That could be the issue as well. It may not eat something thats a lot smaller or a lot bigger than it.

 

[mrblue]

size of the mantis is not the issue here.

ricks idea seems sound. i have another method which is really hard to explain and sounds way more trouble than its worth, but once youve got the technique down its easy. i simply get a net of some kind or a transparent bag (both work) and put the mouth of the bag to the lid of the fly container. i open the container slightly, and have a lamp shining towards the tip of the bag. as soon as i open to container, flies fly out towards the light, to the very tip of the bag. then i just close the container, close the bag, and repeat, but the other way round (have the light shining into the mantis container, so the flies will fly out of the bag and into the container).

like i said, it sounds like more trouble than its worth. basically, use the idea that flies pretty much always go towards bright lights. remembering this helps to keep them under control a bit more, you can kind of direct them where you want them to go.

 

[markdneck]

They had a bottle of God knows how many, a bunch or FLIGHTLESS fruitflys for $3.50. Maybe cheaper on line but this way not freight fee required and it is convenient. They said these wouod live a couple weeks anyway.

My two baby (L3?) mantids just got here an hour ago and when is chowing down on the flys already. They are much smaller than I expected. Oh well, they will grow, I hope!

 

[OGIGA]

They had a bottle of God knows how many, a bunch or FLIGHTLESS fruitflys for $3.50. Maybe cheaper on line but this way not freight fee required and it is convenient. They said these wouod live a couple weeks anyway.

That's really cheap! Is this a sale or is it always like this?

 

[Asa]

My petco offers small vials of fruitflies for 4.00 each. They last a while, 4 weeks. Plus they come with a little foam plug stuck in the top, that I use to plug up my cages.