Time to toss out the culture and bring in a new one?

[Mantida]

My d. hydei culture is getting smelly. And it's not a nice smell, it reeks, and the styrofoam plug is all brown and gross. I changed it and the smell was less, but it's just going to get stronger as the culture gets older! 'Course, I expect all cultures to start stinking eventually due to the decomposition of dead fruit flies and maggots in the container.

The flies are all fine and still reproducing a lot, and I still have quite a bit of medium left, though it's brown-ing.

Is it time to cash in the money for a new culture?

 

[hibiscusmile]

Yea, just start a new one, and use up what flies u have left as they hatch out the next few days. Don't keep it too long, it really should not smell too bad!

 

[Rick]

Mine don't ever stink but they do eventually dry up and I start a new one.

 

[macro junkie]

i got my fly culture today..my 1st ever one..how do u guys make them.?im buying them but im guessing u make them..how?

 

[Mantida]

Well, it smells if I stick my nose up to the foam stopper. Before I could smell it a few inches away since the foam stopper had absorbed basically all the odors.

@ macro junkie

http://mantidforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=7715

 

[macro junkie]

thanks mantida

 

[Rick]

Or you can buy the medium and do it that way instead of making your own. MUCH easier.

 

[OGIGA]

Make a new one! It's so easy... For D.Hydei, this is what works:

Put mash potato flakes into an empty water bottle.

Put a little bit of sugar in there.

Add warm water.

Add yeast.

Shred a Styrofoam plate and stuff it in there.

Put fruit flies in. Use a funnel if desired.

Close the top with a cotton ball or anything that will keep flies in but allows ventilation.

In my experience, you'll get more flies after about 2 weeks, so start now! Good luck!

 

[Precious]

Fruit fly cultures are so easy. I don't measure anything and I don't ever have a problem. Just flakes and yeast. I did learn from someone here on the forum to use a little vinegar and a dolop of honey (antibacterial and antifungal). I make it pretty thick as it soon thins out. I recently made something way cool that I should post a pic of, but I'm too lazy. I reused a plastic take out dish, like a pie dish with a clear snap on lid. I cut a hole in the middle of the top and hot glued screen over the hole from the underside. I taped a coffee filter over the screen from the other side and put culture medium, excelsior and flies inside and closed it. Two weeks later I put it in my 'nymph tent' and removed the coffee filter. The flies are free to go in and out of the culture without the danger of nymphs drowning in the medium. It works like a dream. So cool. I threw some hydei in (was just melanogaster) and now they are thriving too. Love it. When my cultures start drying, I mist them and get every fly I can. They all get brown, but they just smell yeasty.

 

[Mantis Keeper]

I know you just said that you were too lazy to post a pic, but it would be really cool if you could. I'd been trying to think of a way of just having a ff culture in my enclosure but never could figure it out and I'd love to see how you did it. I may be able to work off your description, but I'm not 100% clear on it. Please post pics!

Kirk

 

[macro junkie]

just think is every one thought like u..the forum woulnt hve any pics..

 

[Precious]

ouch! okay, okay...i'll get it done.

 

[Precious]

these pix are awful but i'm trying to decorate my tree!!!

first: this culture is in an 8 inch "pie" dish with matching cover from Chinese take-out, this is a hydei culture that i haven't opened (removed exterior coffee filter) yet

this is a photo of a melanogaster culture with coffee filter removed (note plastic screen glued inside) picture is lousy but you can see flies everywhere and a couple of hatchlings on the lid

there you have it. just tap the bottom of the bug tent and flies pour out, no mantids hurt - it's all good! you can't see the depth of the container, but it matches the top - maybe 2". medium, excelsior, flies. ta da!