Termite48
Well-known member
I have found that raising insects sometimes causes the presence of the wild flies to visit me in the bug room. Lately I decided to take advantage of this. It is not always convenient to have to feed mels or hydei to a given group of nymphs. So noticing there are a few fruit flies around, I tried something I hope you try also. I placed my few remaining Orchid L-2s in an 80 oz. container with the vented lid. I placed on the bottom a moistened paper towel and a few strands of excelsior for perching. On top of the paper toweling, I placed three or four thin slices of banana (not even very ripe will work). Like magic, this morning there are more flies inside and easy for the nymphs to eat at will. From time to time I drip some clean water through the feeding hole in the lid to keep things moist and humid as I am using a rather strong heat lamp at a 45 degree angle and at 16-20 inches distant to give the nymphs the gradient of heat that they like. This is also perfect for the flies as they favor swarming the warmer and lighter area of the container. I have no doubt that this container of nymphs and fruit flies could be left unattended for a few days if there is a timer attached to the heat lamp so that there is a cooler time at night. For that I have a small electric heater that goes on when the temp approaches 70 degrees. I hope this helps the newer hobbyists on the site. I am sure the more experienced members have it all figured out by now. Merry Christmas to all.
