# Petco Fruitflies..



## AndrewFromSoCal (Jan 1, 2007)

I was in Petco yesterday during my Uni break, and noticed some fruit flies. One of the employees said they had just started carrying them. Has anyone tried these? I was thinking of picking up a container when my shipment of culturing accessories gets here so I can practice fruit fly culturing.

Feedback is appreciated.

Thanks,
Andrew


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## Marty71 (Nov 9, 2006)

I've never tried them, but I think you'd probably be better served going through Ed's or one of the other vendors here. I think there's a lot to be said for having somebody that is truly into the hobby helping you and who is there to answers questions, plus there probably cheaper and almost certainly better quality....


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

Yea, go ahead and pick some up to practice culturing. See if you can find out what species of fly they are (Hydei or Melanogaster) because there are some tricks to help either produce better.


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## WarrenM (May 8, 2006)

I picked up my first fruit flies from Petco (hydei) and started my cultures with them. It's now 9 months later and the cultures are still going. Because the quantity is so small in their tubes, it took a while to build up a large supply of flies.


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## Alan (Jan 12, 2005)

IME Petco has carried fruit flies for at least two years that I know of. The vials are pretty small and thus low-producing. I heard people say that thier supply in winter can be spotty and upside down shipping can ruin the culture.


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## titan501x (Dec 7, 2006)

how much do these "vials" cost?


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

It's been a while since I had to buy any, but if I remember right, they're like 3-5 bucks. Definately not worth it except to start more cultures.


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## titan501x (Dec 7, 2006)

defaced said:


> It's been a while since I had to buy any, but if I remember right, they're like 3-5 bucks. Definately not worth it except to start more cultures.


yea, i was considering buying some to start more cultures.

Defaced, you post way too much


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

You must have missed the thread in the Lounge when I turned 4000. I wouldn't say I post too much now. About six months ago, yea, I posted too much.


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## fleshatomb (Jan 24, 2007)

i bought a vial of D hydie (sp?) a year or longer ago when i still had my first darts, i had flightless melenogaster (sp/) from eds fly meat i had raised for over a year, and i picked up that vial from petsmart (probably some sutff petco has, small vial, blue media?

any ways, i think i bought one vial, and started my own cultue but had to through the whole thing away becuase it was like the first culture ever to get black mold. 

I bought another vial a week or so later and had no problem raising them, they just take twice as long as melenogastar to raise. 

i wouldnt hesitate to raise them if its a fly you dont have, or are running low. id say they get just as healthy after a few cultures as ed's or someplace cause you are feeding them well. 

my opinion any ways.

my frogs ate em up. lol


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## dr_octagon (Jan 7, 2007)

I buy them if the timing of my cultures is off and i have few flies. I dump about half into a culture and feed with the rest. I empty them of flies and let them sit for a while. They start producing again after some time, and are good in a pinch. They cost around 5-6 bucks


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## Raymond (Aug 26, 2006)

titan501x said:


> Defaced, you post way too much


Look who is talking. On a day to day basis, you're worse then him. 

Mike usually has something helpful, or interesting to say too.


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## O2 Plastics (Jun 28, 2006)

$8 here for 15 dead flies. I've never seen them with anything alive inside. I started with Ed's and it's still going strong a couple million flies later.


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## robrainney (Jan 4, 2007)

I bought some from there when I first started, and I had to open three or four containers, and dump them into one. I still probably had less than 50 flies.


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## elmoisfive (Dec 31, 2004)

If you are really stressed for flies, the cultures that are sold at Petco or Petsmart work in a pinch but as mentioned there are very few flies there. You better off trying to get help from fellow froggers in your area or contacting an insect supplier such as Ed's and explaining your dilemma. Yes you might may $$$ for overnight delivery but consider how much your frogs are worth to you.

Bill


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## Arklier (Mar 1, 2004)

I have used the flies from Petco as starter cultures in the past without problems. Before I switched to wingless melanogaster, I had cultures of the Petco flies running for over a year. Around here there don't seem to be many issues with fliers in them, but often the cultures have been sitting on the shelves too long and are used up before anyone buys them. Sometimes the employees will put water in them as they start to dry up, and if they put in too much the cultures get medium the consistency of tomato soup. You will not get very much in the way of production out of them, but they are good for starters. 

Same with hydei from Petsmart. I recently started culturing hydei again for my terribilis froglets using flies from there. The culture is about 2 weeks old and has hundreds of maggots swarming over everything.


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