I use apple cider vinegar in my cultures. I have a jar, pre-mixed, of 2 bananas, half a can of grapejuice concentrate, some molasses, and the rest of applesauce. Whenever I make a new culture, I spoon out 3-4 tablespoons of the fruit slurry, 1 tablespoon each of water and vinegar, then approximately 3 tablespoons of potato flakes and brewers yeast (also pre-mixed @ 2/3 flakes, 1/3 yeast) Add more flakes if necessary to thicken it up, and dont be worried if its a little crumbly, the larvae will liquefy it a bit more. In fact, thats probably why your cultures got runny. IF you dont like the smell of vinegar and cant get mold inhibitor, that leaves you sol as far as mold is concerned. You need one or the other. Just keep your cultures in a large tuperware or in a cabinet or something. No healthy fruit fly culture is going to smell like a bouquet of roses.

-David Taylor

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• How do you prevent mold from forming in your fruit fly medium? - Mothi, Mon Aug 25 20:23:33 2003
• RE: How do you prevent mold from forming in your fruit fly medium? - audiotaylor, Mon Aug 25 22:05:06 2003
• RE: How do you prevent mold from forming in your fruit fly medium? - tpopovich, Tue Aug 26 19:45:31 2003