# how do you dust your fruit flys?



## jojopotato25 (Jan 7, 2007)

when i dust crickets i toss them into a zip lock baggy and after shaking i pick them up and toss them to my geckos. I just realized how tiny fruit flys are and its going to be pretty difficult to pick them up. I also dont want to just dump the bag and spill vitamin powder along with flys everywhere. how do you guys dust your flys and feed them to your frogs?


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## SusannahJoy (Jul 3, 2006)

I use a funnel and a mason jar. I tap the dust into the jar, set the funnel on the top, and tap the flies in. Shake it around a bit, pour out the flies, and throw away any leftover dust. Pretty simple.


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## apparent (Aug 30, 2006)

I made my “super duper dusting cups” from scratch! 8) 

Materials needed: 3-fly culture cups (32oz), 1-lid, No-see-em mesh, glue

Cut 2 cups approx 1.5” off the bottoms… Place mesh around 1 cut cup and place into the other cut cup… Add glue to top of outside cup to solidify them together. 

Add dust to uncut cup… add flies to the cups that are glued together... add lid… turn over and shake (lightly)… turn right side up and shake (lightly)… open lid and remove inner cup…

The flies sit nicely in the mesh while the dust falls through…

Feeding time!  

All the extra dust stays in the bottom cup, only the dusted flies go in the tank…

Also! Since the mesh cup walls get dusted the flies can’t climb them… you can take your time and not worry about runaways… 

Tip: make two sets… one for calcium and one for vitamins…


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## bellerophon (Sep 18, 2006)

nice idea...think I may have to try that


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## c'est ma (Sep 11, 2004)

With an insect aspirator:










The vial is about 4" long.

I tap flies into a critter keeper, tap the ck to get the flies piled up in one corner, then suck them up with the aspirator.

Tap aspirator to get flies on the bottom, remove cork, add supplements, shake vial back & forth to coat.

Usually coated flies are too disoriented to climb back up vial sides. They can be tapped out of the vial pretty precisely--exactly where you want them to go.

Very quick & easy. Rinse (& dry) vial between loadings so you don't inhale supplements/clog the aspirator screen with same...


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## Smogre (Aug 11, 2006)

This just in:

Cops in Michigan appologize for a wrongful crack bust on local resident.

"I was only trying to feed my Frogs" says c'est ma

Oh yeah. Before anyone busts my chops for a hyjack, I like the cup idea, apparent.


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## c'est ma (Sep 11, 2004)

LOL!

And when they execute their search warrant, they find several packs of disposable syringes...but officer, those are all for the animals, too!...


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## jojopotato25 (Jan 7, 2007)

hey todd i really like your idea. i think im going to try that. thanks man!


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## apparent (Aug 30, 2006)

Thanks all! There is nothing in the market that I know of for dusting FF's. I got the idea after seeing a cricket duster. It was about $12 and the grid at the bottom was too big that the FF's would fall through... So, for about $2 I built my own... The funny thing is most of the people on here already have all the stuff needed to build it...


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## joeyo90 (Nov 5, 2006)

pretty cool


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## masterbreed (May 9, 2006)

I use a funnel then just tap them into some type of bottle with lid and add supps


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## EDs Fly Meat (Apr 29, 2004)

Man that is all elaborate.

#1-I take an clean and empty 32 oz (1 pint) container.

#2 I sprinkle in vitamins (Super not so secret ED's Fly Meat mix) 
just enough to cover the bottom.








I can give you my vitamin ratios if you like.

#3 Add flies









#4 Gently shake from side to side to cover the flies.









#5 All done, FEED ON!









Let me know if this was helpful to you.


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## porkchop (Aug 29, 2005)

I do it the same way Dave does it ...
Simple, quik and easy.


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## c'est ma (Sep 11, 2004)

LOL! I love picture 4...


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

^That's because of the crack.

I do mine just like Dave. Dump, dump, shake, feed.


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## spydrmn12285 (Oct 24, 2006)

I'd like to know the vitamin mixtures you use, and what are the other bottles for (other than rep-cal & herptivite)?


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## dragonfrog (Feb 16, 2006)

I use two tuperware containers; one large (empty) and two small (vitamins in one, calcium in the other) and a fine mesh kitchen strainer. I put the FF in the small container containing the suppliment I want (i don't mix the suppliments, I dust alternately) shake the FF around in the dust and then pour them into the strainer. Shake the strainer over the larger, empty container and the dust falls into the container leaving the FF in the strainer ready to shake into the viv. Very simple, very clean.


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## DizzyD (Sep 19, 2006)

I just add vitamins into container, add flys into same container, shake, tilt, tap, tilt, tap and put dusted flys into small container dump into viv. Oh, and that does look like some sort of paraphenelia. naughty naughty.


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