Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm looking for a place to purchase fruit flies (lots),premade media 32 oz deli cups all in one price. If you know of a place please let me know as I haven't had much luck. I really would like to purchase in one place so help me out folks lol.
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1.0 chi/terrier
.0.2 G. Basin Gopher Snakes
1.1 Kenyan Sand Boas
.0.1 Giant A. Bullfrog
1.1 Ambilobe Panther Chameleons
.0.1 Albino Leopard Gecko
2.1.1 Bearded Dragons
200 Discoid Roaches

Try http://www.flyculture.com

I've orderd from them before, several times, and met the guy at the
Tampa show. Very good quality cultures. I raised a whole clutch
of veiled's for over a month off of just two clutlures - one of the
turkish gliders, and one of Hydei. I used other foods as well, but
most of what they ate were thse flies - they give very large cultures.

I had been propagating flies from those cultures up until a month ago
- I slacked, and only created one culture. I put too much banana in
it, and the resulting gasses killed off all my flies before they could lay
eggs.

I've been having great results making fly cultures with potato flakes
and yeast. They grow very well on just that mix (with the yeast
sprinkled on) Normally, I mix in some banana, and a few other
ingredients, for gutloading. I was in a hurry to just keep my latest
culture going, so I just used the basics. I've never had a problem
with mold, either.

Here's a useful backup. If you have animals hatchign, and really
need flies - go to your local university Genetics department. They
throw out dozens of cultures a day, often with several weeks worth
of flies in them. I went to NCSU after my veields hatched, just in
case my flghtless cultures didn't come in on time, and I got 20
plastic flasks with cultures and foam plugs. I didn't use the flies too
much (the wife has a problem with escaped flying insects...ever
since that waxwomr incident**), but th eplastic containers were
easily cleaned, very strong, and reusable for propagating more
flightless flies.

** wasworm food has to be jsut right, or else they'll get stuck in th
ehoney and die a mushy, nasty death. If it's too dry, or chunky,
they can't eat it. I got a few thousand wax worms going in a culture
(tightly fitted screen top) in my closet. There were way more that I
had thought - they quickly ate all the food I put in there with them.
The new food I placed in was to big and dry, and they apparantly
couldn't eat it. Many died. However, healthy, feeding waxworms
are a far cry from the ones in the plastic tubs you get at petsmart.
they go looking for food. And they were still small, and squeezed
through the sides of the lid. And crawled all over my closet,
pupating all over, I had dozens upon dozens of cacoons in my
animal room. Of course, I didn't find out until I noticed the dozens
and dozens of tiny waxmoths - if they run out of food, they pupate
early, and become tiny moths - really funny. I was't allowed to
breed waxworms again. I'm going to try again soon though...

Eric,

As I read your part about all the adult moths I was hoping that you were able to feed them all to your herps and not let them get free from the house. The caterpillar("worm" stage) live in honeybee nests and will absolutely wreak havoc and ultimately destroy the honeybee population (in that given nest). The are an invasive nuisance beekeepers. So, for future reference, anyone who raises these please do not allow them to get free at any stage.

I speak for the bees

lele
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.3 Mad. Hissers (2 died ;(
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha