Keeping flies!!!

packer43064

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 25, 2004
Messages
74
Well I want to keep some flies, liek the ones you find outside. SO how do you keep them and feed them, so they will breed. I know you can use manure but I want it in my house, and that would smell bad, what else can I use. I know I could get soem of the fruit flies, but I don't think I can order them to my house. But could you catch them some how , if so how?
Thnx.
 

Scythemantis

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
Messages
499
Flies are my favorite insects, esspecially the large, metallic blowflies.

The poo-eating is actually more of a "stereotype". Some fly species do feed specifically on dung, but the kinds of flies you're talking about can and will eat just about anything as adults and are primarily flesh-eaters as larvae. They lay their eggs on decaying meat, or any reasonable facsimile of decaying meat. Moist dog food or canned meats (tuna, spam) should probably work just fine. Maggots are efficient enough that their food will be gone before you have to worry about it stinking up the entire house.
 

Alex S.

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 19, 2002
Messages
645
Pretty much anything that house flies need for egg-laying is going to smell bad. Maybe you could keep them in a garage or shed.

On another note: I suggest keeping robber flies (Diptera: Asilidae) if you ever get the chance. They are an incredible family of true flies with approximately 1000 species occuring in North America alone. Asilids are voracious predators that can get very large (up to 2" in body length) and are, in my opinion, the most fascinating family within the Diptera.

Alex S.
 

becca81

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 17, 2004
Messages
3,783
How would this breeding / keeping work? Is it as simple as catching a few flies, putting them in an enclosure with some dog food or meat and then let the fun begin?

What do they lay their eggs on?
 

Scythemantis

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
Messages
499
They lay their eggs in/on the meat. In the wild eggs are layed on larger dead animals as they begin to decay.


How would one breed robber flies, by the way?
 

packer43064

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 25, 2004
Messages
74
So your saying I could use tuna that's in the can, I just drain it and put it in a jar with soem flies and bam I will get maggots sooner or later. There's always tuna here, so I do thta next time I catch some flies. Thanx so much. How long does it take from like egg to adult, Doesn't it take just like 2 weeks.
 

packer43064

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 25, 2004
Messages
74
If I use tuna how do I get it to decay, just live it out in the sun for a day or two.
 

Scythemantis

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
Messages
499
Actually, the smell of tuna and other meats straight from the can IS the smell of decay. Meat technically begins to decay the very instant it dies, and that's enough for flies to home in on. It just has to be dead, it doesn't have to be green and rancid.
 

OldHag

ArachnoHag
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 8, 2003
Messages
1,711
I used to get cat food and pour water on it so it puffed up. I would get all kinds of fly activity!! Maggots galore!!! ( My mom was a very paitent person) That didnt stink very bad. Just like wet catfood....
 

Alex S.

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 19, 2002
Messages
645
Scythemantis said:
They lay their eggs in/on the meat. In the wild eggs are layed on larger dead animals as they begin to decay.


How would one breed robber flies, by the way?
I have never bred Asilidae, so I’m not sure. Being an actively flying insect, though, of course you will need a large enclosure (an all mesh enclosure or large terrarium with a screen lid would probably work well). Sand with some sort of fake or real plants/wooden objects would most likely be the best substrate as most species occur in an arid/scrubland type environment with plenty of vegetation to perch on. Low humidity and warm temperatures would probably be a must for most species in captivity as well. I believe there are three oviposition methods, egg-laying on vegetation, egg-laying in sand/soil, and random egg-laying, used by the various robber fly species. If this family does readily breed in captivity, then the substrate and vegetation/pieces of wood should suffice as an oviposition site. Like I said, I have never attempted to breed robber flies nor do I know very much about them, so this is just a very basic estimation of what would be needed to captive breed them (assuming they are willing to breed in captivity in the first place). Nonetheless, observing a terrarium full of Asilidae would definitely be very interesting.

Alex S.
 
Top