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Media

A

alan

Guest
1 cup RedyBrek (http://www.google.com/search?q=ready+brek)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dried yeast
Enough orange juice to make the medium evenly moist but not sopping.
Incubate 8-24 hours then add AT LEAST 50-100 flies in order to keep the medium churned and prevent excessive bacterial colonization.

The least smelly medium I have found (but it still smells).
 
J

joseph

Guest
I started a culture by accident inside a coconut with the residue meat left. Probably not the cheapest way to do it, but i will be transfering them to something else soon. If only they didn't have wings!
 
R

russ

Guest
Great info. I've been buying fruitflies for hatchlings. I started a colony, we'll see how it goes. No Redybrek here so I tried using Gerbers rice cereal (for infants) first. It was too sticky after it ferments. Next I tried using Cream of Wheat, it seems to work fine. We'll see.

RUSS
 
E

edward

Guest
I just use the carolina bio supply company commercial media.

Ed
 
J

jennifer

Guest
Many of the commercial fly media are made with dry potato flakes, so that might be worth a try too.
 
A

alan

Guest
I've not found that the smell from potato flakes is much worse than for other media bases. They definitely produce big crops of flies (protein?). My problem with potato flakes is that they tend to produce a wet, runny culture, and wet runny cultures *do* stink. If you can keep the culture dry enough, they are no smellier than anything else.
 
R

russ

Guest
Dang, Cream of Wheat puts off the most awful smell. It reminded me of finding an uneaten dead mouse in one of my snake cages. I'm going to try Quaker oats next. Too bad, is was loaded with eggs and larvae.

RUSS
 
M

meghan

Guest
Has anyone come up with any other successful methods? Any other experiments?
 

morg

Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2002
Messages
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Location
Doncaster England
All I have used for culturing fruit flies for the last year is banana with a sprinkling of yeast.
I bought a load of old bananas, froze them, then as needed I will set up a jar with some folds of kitchen paper on the bottom, 1 banana cut in half, a small sprinkling of yeast is added.
When the banana is completely defrosted, I add a piece of crumpled kitchen paper and add the flies.
If enough flies are added to start with, there is not too much smell from the cultures at all.
 
M

meghan

Guest
Yesterday I made a smooth pulp of banana and overly ripe peach, yeast, added a wad of hosery into a narrow neck water bottle thinking that would keep the flies in easier while they multiply. So far, I have a whopping 1 fly. I suppose I'll have to break down and go buy a "starter" supply of flies considering I need them NOW.

What a good idea to freeze the old bananas. My kids waste bananas all the time. I will definitely do that. Thanks Morg!
 
M

meghan

Guest
Holy crud!! I have worms everywhere!! I used mashed peaches and bananas, added some cream of wheat...sprinkled yeast on top. Had lots of fruit flies with in 2 days. Now the containers are brimming with soon to be hatchlings! Wonderful considering I paid $7 for a tiny vial of flightless fruit flies. Thanks for the info...
 
R

russ

Guest
I've been have great success using the original recipe in this thread but substituting RedyBrek with oats. No oder at all! But about every third colony I start molds on the surface extremely fast. Any thoughts?
 
E

edward

Guest
Nuke, cover and cool them before use.


Ed

(Message edited by Ed on September 14, 2005)
 
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