Blue Bottle Flies are a great feeder, and I would like to share some information on husbandry. I have been working with Blue Bottles as a feeder for about 2 years, and have found them to be easy to house, and a feeder that gets picked off early in Cham land.
The Blue Bottle fly pupae can be purchased, or you can get them in larvae (yes-maggots). The larvae will last about 2 months in the refrigerator, with no feeding neccessary. If you buy the pupae, only about 3 weeks of life is left, so i always buy the larvae. Typically I buy 500 larvae at a time, and that will feed my 2 adult and 4 juvinile Chams for 6 to 8 weeks (along with other feeders).
I set up a container (Cup-o-Flies @ mantisplace.com) that has 3 small containers in it, one for the larvae to pupate in, one for the water cubes, and one for the powdered sugar/powdered milk (50%/50% mix) to gutload the flies on.
It takes several days for pupation and for the pupae to hatch, once they do, I open the container in each cage. The flies fly up to the lights, and I have few escapes...fly swatter is close by!
Blue Bottle Flies have some advantages over other feeders.
1) They don't bite Chams.
2) They fly around and don't hide as other food prey, and they tend to go to light so they are always visible.
3) I can set up a plastic covered container in each cage with a 1/2 inch hole in the side, and leave pupae in the enclosure, and the flies hatch, eat, drink, and then find their way out through the hole. This creates a fresh food source when I am gone on a trip. BTW, the top of he container in the cage must be solid so misting doesn't get in the container.
4) They are an inexpensive food source. With Shipping, 500 Blue Bottle larvae (called SPIKES on the Mantisplace.com webpage) are $13.45, and last me about 2 months.
5) I hesiate to interpet Cham behavior, but I would say BB Flies are a "favorite" of my Chams. The only time flies are left in a cage is if I have put WAY too many in!
6) There is minimal work involved, I pour a few larvae into each hatching container every other day or so. If I forget about them for several days, it is no loss, they have food and water cubes so they will be fine. Once the little buggers hatch and have eaten and drank for a couple of days, it's dinner [/I]time!
I hope this has been helpful
The Blue Bottle fly pupae can be purchased, or you can get them in larvae (yes-maggots). The larvae will last about 2 months in the refrigerator, with no feeding neccessary. If you buy the pupae, only about 3 weeks of life is left, so i always buy the larvae. Typically I buy 500 larvae at a time, and that will feed my 2 adult and 4 juvinile Chams for 6 to 8 weeks (along with other feeders).
I set up a container (Cup-o-Flies @ mantisplace.com) that has 3 small containers in it, one for the larvae to pupate in, one for the water cubes, and one for the powdered sugar/powdered milk (50%/50% mix) to gutload the flies on.
It takes several days for pupation and for the pupae to hatch, once they do, I open the container in each cage. The flies fly up to the lights, and I have few escapes...fly swatter is close by!
Blue Bottle Flies have some advantages over other feeders.
1) They don't bite Chams.
2) They fly around and don't hide as other food prey, and they tend to go to light so they are always visible.
3) I can set up a plastic covered container in each cage with a 1/2 inch hole in the side, and leave pupae in the enclosure, and the flies hatch, eat, drink, and then find their way out through the hole. This creates a fresh food source when I am gone on a trip. BTW, the top of he container in the cage must be solid so misting doesn't get in the container.
4) They are an inexpensive food source. With Shipping, 500 Blue Bottle larvae (called SPIKES on the Mantisplace.com webpage) are $13.45, and last me about 2 months.
5) I hesiate to interpet Cham behavior, but I would say BB Flies are a "favorite" of my Chams. The only time flies are left in a cage is if I have put WAY too many in!
6) There is minimal work involved, I pour a few larvae into each hatching container every other day or so. If I forget about them for several days, it is no loss, they have food and water cubes so they will be fine. Once the little buggers hatch and have eaten and drank for a couple of days, it's dinner [/I]time!
I hope this has been helpful
