How to start fruitfly colonies?

[chameleonneeds]

Hey all.

Im going to have 4 veileds hatching in about 2 months and I was thinkin I should start a fruitfly colony for when they hatch, I also want to start breeding them as no one else in S.A is doing them, and I could also make money out of selling them, because alot of people have unexpected hatchlings with panthers, pygmys and on rare oppurtunities jacksons.

I would like to know how I should start a colony, obvioulsy without buying from someone as no-one has them.

Let me know what is the best thing to do.

Cheers

 

[chameleonneeds]

Bump!

Well hoping that someone will have any answers for this question I posted a while ago

I will be having some baby jacksons of my own in the next couple months so would be nice to start some fruitfly cultchers, anyone know how to start them from scratch? (Wild FF)

Cheers

 

[Fidel]

Wild ff's will fly, making it pretty impossible to feed them off. The fly's we use over here have been genetically altered to not fly. If I were you I would look for a biological supply company that can ship flightless flies to you to start with.

 

[Hugh Wahl]

I use to breed my own for my dart frogs. Just check the site sponsors i think joshsfrogs sells FFF. Buy a colony and the supplies to make more. The cups, lids, wood wool, and food. Just mix the food with water like the instructions say add some wood wool and some adults from the established culture. In a week or so you will see baby maggots in the food in another week or so the new babies will begin to hatch its fairly simple once you get the hang of it. Cooler temps cultures last longer warmer temps the opposite.

 

[fluxlizard]

This mix has worked best for me and the bonus is no hard to find ingredients are necessary. I have used a few other recipes- usually containing brewer's yeast or some kind of mold inhibitor, and I have used various commercial mixes. This one produces many more flies for me consistently than the others I have tried.

Harvey Peterson Medium

1/2 cup Warm Water
1/2 tbs. White Sugar
1 tbs. Powdered Milk
4-6 tbs. Instant Mashed Potatoes
5-15 granules Baker’s Yeast

In a 24 or 32 oz. deli container or insect cup, dissolve sugar in warm water. Add powdered milk and stir well. Add mashed potatoes (the exact amount required will vary with the humidity level and ventilation of the cultures). Swirl the container in your hands to thoroughly mix ingredients, then let sit for a few minutes to solidify. Add yeast on top, then introduce fruit flies.
Alternatively, mix all dry ingredients together, then make up culture medium using equal amounts of mix and water

I should note that I use all kinds of plastic and glass jars and cups, and keep the flies contained by covering the cup with a paper towel held in place with a rubber band. During the winter when air humidity is low, I also cover the tops with plastic- sometimes just putting several in an old tatty shopping bag that I don't close in order to somewhat limit airflow and evaporation. During the summer this isn't necessary.

I suppose the biggest problem will be getting flightless fruit flies. You can use normal ones, but keeping them in the lizard enclosures may be a bit of a problem (keep a bit of well rotten fruit in there).

On the other hand it seems impossible that there are no flightless fruit flies in all of South Africa- try universities and see if you can dig some up. They use them all the time here for genetic research and studies.

 

[chameleonneeds]

Thanks for the comments.
I wish I could buy them so easily.
There used to be one guy who had FFF here in S.A, just before he left the country I was supposed to get a culture of them but forgot about them...big mistake, now theres no one to really get them from...

I have heard about contacting uni's so I will do that sometime and hopefuly get some.

I have learnt from other guys on how to keep the fruitflies to stay in one place - putting a small cup of rotten fruit with small dull sticks in it, the flies usualy sit on the ends of the sticks so easy pray for little chams.

Quite nervous that I will lose little jacksons so I want to have a variety of food for them, so far I have pinheads, baby lobster roaches and hopefuly will have fruitflies.

 

[Hugh Wahl]

You can buy online. Black jungles will ship errything you need. Flies or supplies for them.

 

[chameleonneeds]

Will have to see if they ship to South Africa

 

[FredChameleon]

http://www.ehow.com/how_2144853_fruit-flies-pet-frog-food.html

 

[Hugh Wahl]

Will have to see if they ship to South Africa

Not to sure just realized South Africa. I'm sure they would but you email him and check. Sorry thought S.A. Was San Antonio Texas, not South Africa.

 

[Hoj]

Well hoping that someone will have any answers for this question I posted a while ago

I will be having some baby jacksons of my own in the next couple months so would be nice to start some fruitfly cultchers, anyone know how to start them from scratch? (Wild FF)

Cheers

i recall being told that Marty from mistking has good info on this. i would suggest sending him a pm and see waht he has to say.

 

[fluxlizard]

Keep trying to find some flightless fruit flies by all means, but rest assured baby jacks can be raised just fine on newborn lobster roaches and pinhead crickets. If you've got good colonies going that are actively reproducing, you should be "safe".

If you want for more variety- you should be able to scrounge for tiny insects in leaf litter as well- even in winter you can locate a damp pile of leaves somewhere and get the ones at the bottom-most part of the pile- a little damp earth along with is fine too. Take indoors and warmup a few days and lots of little bugs will appear in it.

 

[jerseyrugby21]

www.stflies.com
havn't used them but i am also looking into fff. is it a good feeder though? good nutrition etc? and how many would be considered a good feeding?