Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was reading an article about raising fruit flys (the link is below, if I did it right) in which was stated, "NEVER use potato flakes....after a few weeks, the smell will drive you out of your house as it smells remarkably like human fecal matter." I was just curious if others have experienced this with ff medium using potato flakes and if so, is there a substitute for potato flakes? I just started my first cultures so I guess i'll find out about the smell.
Link

I have never had a smell problem in 3 years using the flake-based medium, and i suspect there are others reading who may say the same? If you do it right, and the yeast you add colonize the medium before bacteria or fungi can, you will have only a yeasty smell that is not unpleasant. A foul or fecal smell means you did something wrong (possible examples: too warm, not enough yeast or flies etc.) and bacteria have taken over the medium.

Yeah - I agree. The only time I have had cultures go bad and smell is when bacteria has taken over the culture. In my case, I have it happen for two reasons. First it was because my yeast was old and not very active. Second, If I've had cultures that sat around for weeks without harvesting any flies they would get pretty funky.
Old yeast is also often times the culprit when people say that the yeild in their cultures has dropped off.
Start your cultures with clean sterile containers and use good active yeast and you should be good to go. Use a little vinegar as a mold inhibitor also.

Good Luck,
Donn

I agree with the others. I use potato flakes with no bad smell--in fact, it is pleasant, much like my sourdough starter, or fresh bread. Bad smells are bacterial contamination that a good yeast will help prevent, as the others have pointed out. A fecal smell is probably from Escherichia coli, (not the forms of Jack-in-the.Box infamy,) a normal gram negative bowel flora and is a contaminant that will grow on a lot of different fly media, including potato flakes. Since it doesn't float around in the air through spores, nor live long on a dry surface, the potato flakes are not the direct cause of the contamination. Just keep your area clean, wash your hands, use clean utinsils and cups, and follow directions for whatever media you choose.
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Patty
Lost River, Idaho

I have just switched to a potato based medium, and all I can smell on mine is the vineger.
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Kyle
www.kylesphotos.com
D. leucomelas
D. azureus

for all of you that have no problems with odor...would you mind telling the rest of us the approximate amount of yeast you add to say a 32oz container? presumably you are sprinkling over the surface right?

cheers

rich

>>I have just switched to a potato based medium, and all I can smell on mine is the vineger.
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>>Kyle
>>www.kylesphotos.com
>>D. leucomelas
>>D. azureus