Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm looking for flightless house flies. Anyone out there know where I can buy them?

Thanks,

Brad Alexander

I was trying to find them for a while, but had no luck. The only place I heard of was Reptile Specialties (www.reptilespecialties.com) but they were never in stock. Now the link doesn't seem to exist anymore. You can get regular houseflies (and larvae) from Skipio's, but I don't have the link. If you search the forums for Skipio's, I think Lele posted the link a while back.
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Torey
1.1 Uromastyx Geyri (Joe and Arthur)
1.1 Anolis Carolinensis (Bowser and Leeloo)
1.0 Betta Splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis Domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

Search for "Oregon Feeder Insects" for houseflies. They are NOT flightless, however. There is a workaround. Cool the flies until they are not capable of flying either in a container in the refrigerator or outside. Dust them with MINER-ALL. Introduce them into the enclosure while they are still cold. The MINER-ALL makes it difficult for them to fly even after they warm up. About the best they can muster is a weak flutter. This procedure has worked well for me!

I've never used flies, but I'm curious - how do they arrive? As larvae? As flies? How do you keep them? How do you catch only the ones you're going to feed? What do you keep them in? I've never been clear on this stuff...

Thanks!
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Torey
1.1 Uromastyx Geyri (Joe and Arthur)
1.1 Anolis Carolinensis (Bowser and Leeloo)
1.0 Betta Splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis Domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

The most convenient way is to order pupae. They can be kept for weeks/months in refrigeration. You can put a number of pupae in a small deli dish in the corner of the Anole enclosure and they will emerge in 3-4 days. The Anoles will pick them off as they emerge.
I keep mine outside in a storage shed since we have reasonably cold winters. There are usually 25-50 that have emerged every three or four days but the temperatures are cold enough that they can't fly. I put them in a yogurt container with a bit of MINER-ALL and dust them. The adult flies are dumped into a deli dish velcroed to the side of the enclosure. The dusting inhibits their flying and reduces them to a weak flutter. They are more controlled that way.
I alternate between waxworms, crickets, roaches and flies for a varied diet during the winter. Once a week, one of the meals gets dusted with MINER-ALL.

Thanks!! That's exactly what I needed.
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Torey
1.1 Uromastyx Geyri (Joe and Arthur)
1.1 Anolis Carolinensis (Bowser and Leeloo)
1.0 Betta Splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis Domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)