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Frozen Fruit flies


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13 replies to this topic

#1 Offline SheepForgeBoi - Posted March 13 2018 - 6:31 AM

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So I plan to buy some wingless fruit flies as food for my young lasius niger colonies. They won't need many a week and you buy fruit flies 50 at a time and its very cheap. Instead of rearing the fruit flies can I just freeze them all and give them to the ants later?

 

Thanks



#2 Offline Hunter - Posted March 13 2018 - 6:34 AM

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you can but if you keep them in a cheep cup setup they will last longer and ants i have love them alive.



#3 Offline noebl1 - Posted March 13 2018 - 6:38 AM

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I recently started feeding fruit flies to my colonies (including Lasius) now that I found a local store that sells them. They don't really seem so far to care whether they fruit flies are alive or dead.   I'll probably look into doing my own cultures and freeze some as well.  



#4 Offline ZllGGY - Posted March 13 2018 - 6:41 AM

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do your own cultures is actually pretty easy and i plan on setting my colonies up for the purposes of being sold on here but don't have any ants right now to feed them just getting my feeder colonies ready


Colonies:

 

Founding:

Camponotus cf. Modoc

Camponotus cf. Herculeanus

 

Dream Ants:

 

Stenamma Diecki

Solenopsis Molesta

Manica Invidia

Camponotus Herculeanus

Lasius Latipes

Dorymyrmex Pyramicus

Tapinoma Sessile


#5 Offline Hunter - Posted March 13 2018 - 6:43 AM

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if you need help with colony's i have 15, i can give you pointers if needed



#6 Offline ZllGGY - Posted March 13 2018 - 6:45 AM

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if you need help with colony's i have 15, i can give you pointers if needed

so many fruit flies. you have other animals you feed them to?


Colonies:

 

Founding:

Camponotus cf. Modoc

Camponotus cf. Herculeanus

 

Dream Ants:

 

Stenamma Diecki

Solenopsis Molesta

Manica Invidia

Camponotus Herculeanus

Lasius Latipes

Dorymyrmex Pyramicus

Tapinoma Sessile


#7 Offline Hunter - Posted March 13 2018 - 6:49 AM

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my ants, and my snake will some times eat them, i mostly just sell the pupa to people



#8 Offline ZllGGY - Posted March 13 2018 - 6:56 AM

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my ants, and my snake will some times eat them, i mostly just sell the pupa to people

ah i see. i only have 2 active fruit fly colonies and my dubias just started producing reproductives about a month ago and i also have a starting colony of green banana roaches on the way for when i start keeping other things


Colonies:

 

Founding:

Camponotus cf. Modoc

Camponotus cf. Herculeanus

 

Dream Ants:

 

Stenamma Diecki

Solenopsis Molesta

Manica Invidia

Camponotus Herculeanus

Lasius Latipes

Dorymyrmex Pyramicus

Tapinoma Sessile


#9 Offline Hunter - Posted March 13 2018 - 6:57 AM

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cool



#10 Offline CallMeCraven - Posted March 13 2018 - 7:31 AM

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Flash freezing the fruit flies by dumping them into a frozen cup is my preferred way of feeding the flies to my ants. They don't seem to mind the cold flies, so I would imagine freezing them would be just fine, I just wouldn't plan on keeping them to long as the freezer may dry them out to the point where they won't be desirable to the ants.


Edited by CallMeCraven, March 13 2018 - 7:31 AM.

  • ZllGGY likes this

Current Colony:

 

4x Camponotus (hyatti?)

 

 

____________________________________________________

 

Harmony with land is like harmony with a friend; you cannot cherish his right hand and chop off his left.

-Aldo Leopold


#11 Offline drtrmiller - Posted March 13 2018 - 8:33 AM

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My experience has been that frozen fruit flies are readily accepted even a year or more after freezing. I highly recommend the practice.
  • noebl1 likes this


byFormica® is the manufacturer of the iconic nectar feeders and Sunburst Ant Nectar.
byFormica ant products always deliver consistent performance, convenience,
and reliability, making them among the most beloved ant foods and kit enjoyed by
ant keeping enthusiasts worldwide. For more information, visit www.byFormica.com.

#12 Offline noebl1 - Posted March 13 2018 - 8:40 AM

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My experience has been that frozen fruit flies are readily accepted even a year or more after freezing. I highly recommend the practice.

 

Do you have a recommended storage mechanism for the fruit flies? Ziploc bags, tupperware, etc?  Thanks!


Edited by noebl1, March 13 2018 - 8:41 AM.


#13 Offline drtrmiller - Posted March 13 2018 - 8:46 AM

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I used a funnel to guide the flies from the culture container into a plastic test tube. It may help to chill the flies for a bit in the refrigerator so they don't crawl out so quickly. Thicker plastic resists moisture loss better in a freezer, and is therefore recommended for long-term storage.

Edited by drtrmiller, March 13 2018 - 8:47 AM.

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byFormica® is the manufacturer of the iconic nectar feeders and Sunburst Ant Nectar.
byFormica ant products always deliver consistent performance, convenience,
and reliability, making them among the most beloved ant foods and kit enjoyed by
ant keeping enthusiasts worldwide. For more information, visit www.byFormica.com.

#14 Offline noebl1 - Posted March 13 2018 - 8:48 AM

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I used a funnel to guide the flies from the culture container into a plastic test tube. It may help to chill the flies for a bit in the refrigerator so they don't crawl out so quickly. Thicker plastic resists moisture loss better in a freezer, and is therefore recommended for long-term storage.

Exactly what I was looking for, thank you very much for the response!






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