Fruit flies part 3: Housing and handling

Typical Drosophila vials

Housing

Flies are typically kept in plastic or glass containers. I strongly recommend polypropylene plastic vials. Glass containers seem to suffer from condensation to a much greater extent. This can prevent the media from adhering to the vial (allowing it to slip when the vial is inverted), and prevent flies from climbing up the side of the vial.

Re-useability is something that we should all aim for, however fruit fly vials get SO 'glued-on' that it is often very messy and time consuming to clean them effectively, and fly keepers often use disposable cups. However, polypropylene plastic vials with straight sides really are the best choice. The media stays in place better, and if soaked and washed with a bottle brush, can be cleaned and reused easily. Conical flasks are just that bit harder to clean. Such containers are somewhat hard to source, but are available from scientific suppliers online.

Vials can be sealed with sponge (you can make your own - though they are somewhat difficult to cut perfectly; but again available online from scientific suppliers), these are good at keeping out mites, and very convenient. Less good options include: cotton wool (cheap, easy, but only good for vials with small openings. Not reuseable.), filter paper (can be damaged when wet) or netting (cheap, reuseable, can allow mites and interbreeding with wild flies). If you use netting, it is best to keep the flies in a cabinet to keep out other flies.

A funnel is critical when transferring flies

Handling fruit flies?

Under laboratory conditions flies need to be moved from container to container without any escape. This is performed by anaesthetising the flies with CO₂ or ether. This renders them unconscious for a minute or two without damage. Even fully flighted flies can be easily managed in this way. If you have a cylinder of CO₂ handy, perhaps for a planted aquarium, try inverting the vial, and introducing a gentle flow of CO₂ by inserting a fine tube past the sponge topper. After just a few seconds the flies will fall unconscious. This is where the consistency of the media is essential. If your flies are kept over sloppy media, when it is inverted, media will slide down the side of the container, sticking to flies and potentially falling out. If you use the Sussex miedia (see fruit fly food recipes) it will stay exactly where it should! Tap the container a couple times, and all the sleeping flies will all fall out. No mess, just flies.

Luckily flightless flies are relatively easy to manipulate without CO₂, as long as you work quickly. If you have difficulties, 5-8 minutes in a freezer greatly reduces their mobility. But work quickly, because they will wake up soon!

Always use funnels when moving flies from one vial to another. This will largely prevent escape, and allows a vial to be left 'unlidded' with flies still in it. If any do start to walk back up, a gentle tap soon sends them back to their food!

Fruit fly cultures for sale

New BLACK Hydei 32 oz Fruit Fly Culture *HEAT PACK option*

Cordele, Georgia, 310**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$14

Due to winter months and cold temps, live arrival is voided without purchase of a heat pack! please be aware of this when purchasing. Live arrival voided during extreme temps. HEAT PACK OPTION AVAILABLE IF YOUR TEMPS WILL BE HIGH
Will have excelsior for surface area
DISCLAIMER: as we enter winter temps, there is a risk that cultures will not arrive alive or producing, because of this I have included a heat pack option. I will also be shipping priority VS first class so prices have ... more

Wingless Drosophila Melanogaster Fruit Fly Culture 32oz -Live, Dart Frog, Insect

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 152**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$15

This product is a 32oz culture of live Wingless Drosophila Melanogaster fruit flies, specifically designed for use with dart frogs. The flies are cultured in the United States and are suitable for insect enthusiasts looking to provide a live food source for their pets. The Wingless Drosophila Melanogaster flies are a convenient and nutritious option for reptile and pet owners
What's Included:- 1x 32oz Newly Started Flightless Fruit Fly Culture... more

Fruit Fly Media Culture Mix Kit Makes 10 culture 1 5Lb (24oz)

Wheeling, Illinois, 600**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$36

Fruit fly Media Culture Mix Kit contains 1 5Lb (24oz) Of Media Excelsior, Cups / Lids to makes 10 fruit flies cultures.
It does not include live flies
Our fruit fly media works for both melanogaster and Hydei. It is Homemade with the best ingredients to produce top quality flies for your animals . Our fruit fly media contains brewer's years vitamins B also ingredients anti-bacterial to avoid the bad smell, we use a mold inhibitor to prevent mold. The ingredients we use give increase ... more

Fruit Fly Culture Golden Hydei Melongaster 6 Pack Reptile & Dart Frog Food LIVE

Dover, Pennsylvania, 173**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$57

6 pack Melongaster Wingless Fruit Flies
Live fruit flies are a great option for feeding small lizards and many species of frogs, especially because of their reproduction cycle. Each culture of flightless fruit flies has a lifespan of about one month, and even after they die, they will continually pupate from eggs laid by the adults in the culture! This will allow you to keep fruit flies for a while, as long as they are taken care of accurately
Regular fruit flies should be ... more

Flightless Fruit Flies (newly started 24oz Drosophila hydei culture)

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 180**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$14

The Flightless Fruit Flies are a unique and entertaining addition to any pet or reptile setup. These Drosophila hydei flies are specifically bred to lack wings, making them easy to handle and control. With a 24oz culture size, you can enjoy watching these tiny creatures with your reptiles or as a fun experiment for children. These flies are a great way to add a touch of live action to your home environment while also providing a fun and interactive experience for your pets
... more