Setup: For a small fruit fly setup, take a plastic deli container with a lid (32 oz. is good) and put about 1/3 of commercial fruit fly medium in the bottom and add 1/3 cup of dechlorinated or distilled water. Add a few grains of active, dry yeast to the container. Then cut a small hole in the lid, use a piece of foam or sponge to plug it, add 20-25 fruit flies (flightless or wingless are easier to handle), and then put the lid on the container. Room temperatures should be 77-83 degrees F for the fastest production, and no lower than 54 or higher than 91 degrees F. The media should not be allowed to dry out. If you see any signs of mites or mold, you should move the flies to a new setup and clean or throw out the old one.

Feeding: It is important to use a quality medium for your fruit flies, and there are many commercial culture products available to choose from. Fruit flies will also survive on small chunks of ripe to over-ripe fruits or vegetables. Common choices are bananas, strawberries, and citrus fruits.

Reproduction: Females will lay their eggs on the surface of rotting fruit. The eggs will then hatch, and the larvae will feed on yeast and fungi in the fruit until they are ready to pupate, which typically takes place in dry areas of the enclosure (for example, on upper sides). The lifespan of a fruit fly is only around 20 days, so at least 2/3 of the adults should be fed to your pet as soon as new larvae are present. Larvae take about one week to 10 days to become full-grown.

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Published on: 2004-11-20 (1035 reads)