Flightless Fruit Fly (D. Hydei) Experience

[MagicalLobster]

Alright, so I recently purchased some slings and colony of fruit flies in which to feed them (one of the slings is only 1/4"). The ad said the colony would sustain itself for "many weeks" so I was shocked when they all died 2 weeks after receiving them. However, I noticed these little "worm-like" things in the container that were moving. I figured they were either larvae and would become new flies or that they were mites.

A week passes and I'm about to throw this thing out, and low and behold, there are approximately 1 billion more live fruit flies.

Lesson learned: don't throw away a fruit fly colony just because all of them are dead.

 

[Dreadz]

I have almost done the same thing a few times but ended up saving the fruit fly culture and found out about a week later that it was still producing flies.

 

[JZC]

I hate the ones I have for my frogs, (melongastor and hydei) they smell and escape

 

[Scuttlebutt]

I don't mind FFFs. Once my last colony (which I actually just set up) dies out I'll be switching to crickets though. I had a mass extinction once too, it must have been a cold night or something because every single adult died overnight. Fortunately the maggots survived and after 3 days of munching on some apple slices (I ran out of the regular food and wanted to stretch that colony a little further) I had dozens of fresh adults scurrying around. Even without maggots there are often live pupae in there somewhere.

The "many weeks" is kind of an exaggeration. Around 3 weeks is pretty standard for the ones I've had. Just make sure you keep culling off adult flies! They breed like mad, I easily flush 90% of them down the toilet. That's for 2 slings being powerfed and one being fed regularly.

 

[MagicalLobster]

Is that why there are so many in my culture right now? I didn't know one was supposed to kill them off.

I don't mind FFFs. Once my last colony (which I actually just set up) dies out I'll be switching to crickets though. I had a mass extinction once too, it must have been a cold night or something because every single adult died overnight. Fortunately the maggots survived and after 3 days of munching on some apple slices (I ran out of the regular food and wanted to stretch that colony a little further) I had dozens of fresh adults scurrying around. Even without maggots there are often live pupae in there somewhere.

The "many weeks" is kind of an exaggeration. Around 3 weeks is pretty standard for the ones I've had. Just make sure you keep culling off adult flies! They breed like mad, I easily flush 90% of them down the toilet. That's for 2 slings being powerfed and one being fed regularly.

 

[catfishrod69]

I think your best lesson learned, is to never buy these horribly nasty, uneeded creatures. When feeding slings that are that small, just take your crickets/roaches, get a small nymph, and cut it into sections. The slings will easily/readily feed on them. I used to keep a couple species of huntsmans, and some other true spiders. But i got rid of all of them because i could no longer stand dealing with the fruit flies as feeders for the tiny slings. It was a decision i had to make, and im better off without them.

 

[Scuttlebutt]

Yes they breed like mad. Dump some outside or flush them down the toilet. Keep enough to sate your slings and keep at least a few male/female pairs alive for breeding.

 

[MagicalLobster]

I think your best lesson learned, is to never buy these horribly nasty, uneeded creatures. When feeding slings that are that small, just take your crickets/roaches, get a small nymph, and cut it into sections. The slings will easily/readily feed on them. I used to keep a couple species of huntsmans, and some other true spiders. But i got rid of all of them because i could no longer stand dealing with the fruit flies as feeders for the tiny slings. It was a decision i had to make, and im better off without them.

They are the devil. And thus far my slings haven't eaten them. One (G. Rosea RCF) eventually ate a tiny cricket and the other (Euathlus sp. red) still hasn't eaten at all so the flies are basically just sitting around occupying space.

 

[catfishrod69]

Yep best to just stick to the prekilled for now. Good luck with your Euathlus. I have a juvie blue, and it hardly ever eats, and my adult female red pretty much never eats lol. These are about the most boring tarantula you can have. Atleast with a rosea, there is some type of personality.