Fruit flies are specifically used as feeders insect for smaller hatchling reptiles, amphibians and other insects, such as small frogs or mantids. They come as a culture of eggs and food, after a couple of days the eggs wil hatch and flies will continue to emerge for 2 weeks.

Housing and Heating Fruit Flies

Any small container can be used such as the container they arrive in. The substrate should be a mixture medium of food and moisture. Start a new culture when the original culture is 2-3 weeks old. For a continuous supply of fruit flies, always set up a new culture before taking flies from a culture. Cultures should not be kept any longer than 6 weeks.

They will be fine at room temperature but extreme temperatures in both directions could be fatal.

Feeding Fruit Flies with a Culture

Fruit flies feed on fermenting plant materials such as banana’s which are ideal although will be best preparing a medium.

To make a medium mix the following ingredients and boil.

1 cup of water,

1 tablespoon cornmeal,

1 teaspoon agar (available at health food stores),

1 tablespoon molasses

1/8 teaspoon calcium proprionate (available at chemical suppliers)

Pour this mixture into a culture tub and refigerate until you require them. When you come to use them sprinkle 8 grains of yeast ontop of the culture.

Breeding Fruit Flies

Fruit flies could not be any easier to breed, you simply have to feed them. Females will lay around 200 eggs in the medium mixture. Flies emerge from the eggs after 2 days and the larvae feed on the yeast. After 7-20 days the Larvae climb up the sides of the housing container to dryer areas to pupate and transform into adult flies. Adult flies are ready to mate within 2 days and have a life expectancy of around 2 weeks.