28 replies to this topic

[drtrmiller]

I started having issues with native fruit flies a few weeks ago, D. melanogaster, as a result of banana peels I was leaving in a small trash bin that was rarely emptied.

 

This got me thinking.

 

        "I have a constant supply of free flies and maggots, year-round."

 

Fruit flies aren't really bothersome pests.  They don't eat human food unless it is already spoiled, they don't land on people or buzz around one's head like gnats, they are completely silent—you get my drift.

 

I have since placed a dedicated banana peel bin in my bathroom (it only has a faint odor), which has been swarming with fruit flies for weeks now.  Some Pheidole dentata that took residence in the bathroom wall are pruning any dead flies from the vicinity, and as long as I add a banana peel every few days (or week) and keep the bathroom from freezing, I have a constant supply of free flies and maggots, year-round.  

 

It's important that the bin be open or allow constant ventilation, as the flies and bacteria do produce a lot of CO2 and will easily asphyxiate if not allowed fresh air.

 

The only downside, thus far, is that the flies are easily agitated when approached, but again, they avoid people.  It's not like they're landing on me, but rather on nearby surfaces when disturbed.  I'm obviously not worried about any kind of disease transmittance—I'm certain rotten banana peels and fruit flies are harmless.

 

I'll be adding pictures and discussing refining this easy technique, and possibly adapting it to the flightless fruit fly variety, in due time.

Edited by drtrmiller, November 6 2014 - 11:10 AM.

[dspdrew]

When I get fruit flies in my apartment from time to time, they do land on my food while I'm trying to eat, and it pisses me off. What also happens is anything else in my apartment that's moist and attractive to them, they will end up breeding in as well.

[drtrmiller]

I guess I don't have anything they like but banana peels.  Everything else that even starts moist (yogurt tubs, microwave dinners, soup bowls, etc.) dries out very quickly where I'm at.  Even most of the banana peels dry out, and so the fruit fly maggots are found only at the end near where all the peels come together—the part that stays moist longest.

 

And they've never landed on my food while I'm eating, and I'm speaking from ground zero.

[Crystals]

I can kind of see this working, but I will keep my own flightless cultures in their sealed deli cups.

 

I have had wild ones land in my food, in my water/juice, and fly into my face (they like the coating on my glasses).  So I will stick to the flightless variety for my own peace of mind, and to allow the rest of the family to pretend they don't exist. 

[Erik Kegge]

I have "fruit flies" ( I think they are ) living on the soap residu in the bathroom. For some reason they have lived there for years. I haven't found their "residence" but there have always been a few around.

[AntsAreUs]

I like to have everything as perfect and clean and efficient as possible so I will stick with breeding my D. hydei.

[dermy]

I get them sometimes too, on banana peels. But unlike you they like to dunk in my coffee and anything else I have laying around, such as Mountain Dew and stuff like that.

 

Have fun when the health inspector comes!

[Foogoo]

I can kind of see this working, but I will keep my own flightless cultures in their sealed deli cups.

 

Are you able to keep up with using them? My cultures have been growing far faster than I can use them up!

[Gregory2455]

Mine have not!

[AntsAreUs]

Are you able to keep up with using them? My cultures have been growing far faster than I can use them up!

If that is a problem it shouldn't be, you can make a couple bucks off that.

[drtrmiller]

Well, I've decided to try something different.  I'm switching over to using a Sterilite 5-drawer organizer unit for the banana peels, so I can have peels of different levels of development on each floor, and also the design is less prone to shadows which means less disturbing the flies.  

 

The flies also love Formula products (Blue 100) that are intended for ant use, and they last a long time, as well.  

 

I put the end of a peel (where the maggots are), which is only about as big as my thumb, into a foraging area for an incipient Lasius colony today, and they harvested the little maggots as expected.  It seems to be a great solution.

 

[dspdrew]

I get them sometimes too, on banana peels. But unlike you they like to dunk in my coffee and anything else I have laying around, such as Mountain Dew and stuff like that.

 

Have fun when the health inspector comes!

You guys have health inspectors that come into your homes?

[Crystals]

Are you able to keep up with using them? My cultures have been growing far faster than I can use them up!

I have about 80 colonies, most of which have less than 20 workers.  Some of my larger colonies of smaller species can plow through 30-50 fruit flies a day given the chance.

Fruit flies are the perfect size for Tapinoma, Myrmica, Aphaenogaster, and they also work well for the fussier Formica.

 

I usually only have 3-5 containers on the go at once.  My house is about 19C, so they develop slower.

[dermy]

 

You guys have health inspectors that come into your homes?

No but you never know .

[ctantkeeper]

will this project ever be revived, just curious

[Foogoo]

Is there a solution for homemade media that is mold resistant? Sterilization, vinegar, cinnamon... None of them seem to work for me.

[Barristan]

If you add enough fruit flies there won't be any mold because the yeast fungus the flies spread will give mold no chance. However if you add to few flies the yeast fungus won't spread fast enough and mold will occur.

 

I bred fruit flies a few years ago I used the following recipe:
 

• sugared water (50:50 ratio)
• one shot vinegar
• as much wheat bran as needed so you'll get a moist but not wet pulp so fruit flies won't drown

The return was very good:

 

 

And as you can see there wasn't any mold at all.

Edited by Barristan, August 20 2015 - 11:55 PM.

[drtrmiller]

Is there a solution for homemade media that is mold resistant? Sterilization, vinegar, cinnamon... None of them seem to work for me.

 

Methylparaben,

 

will this project ever be revived, just curious

 

Not in active development at this time.

[Crystals]

I have found for homemade media, add a small spoonful of microworms.  They will stir the media until the maggots are large enoguh to do it.

Oddly enough, I have found that the culture with microworms are having higher yields of flies.

[Foogoo]

If you add enough fruit flies there won't be any mold because the yeast fungus the flies spread will give mold no chance. However if you add to few flies the yeast fungus won't spread fast enough and mold will occur.

 

I bred fruit flies a few years ago I used the following recipe:
 

• sugared water (50:50 ratio)
• one shot vinegar
• as much wheat bran as needed so you'll get a moist but not wet pulp so fruit flies won't drown

The return was very good:

 

And as you can see there wasn't any mold at all.

That's really interesting and makes sense, I've been putting very few flies in my cultures so I can keep up with their growth.

 

I have found for homemade media, add a small spoonful of microworms.  They will stir the media until the maggots are large enoguh to do it.

Oddly enough, I have found that the culture with microworms are having higher yields of flies.

What do you do with the microworms?