# New culture lids - now flying melangastors



## 55105 (Jan 27, 2015)

This is a first for me 

I started using these type of culture lids about 3 weeks ago because I thought they would last a bit longer than the fabric type.

I fed out of the first culture yesterday and a few of the melangastor can fly. I've only counted three flyers so far.

I culture melangastor, turkish and hydei but I'm pretty sure that I've never allowed them to mix while making cultures.

Anyway, I'm just curious if it's possible that rouge FF are breeding through the lids or if anyone else has experienced this.


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## srrrio (May 12, 2007)

Here is a good thread on those lids :
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/216625-new-insect-fly-cup-lids.html


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## 55105 (Jan 27, 2015)

srrrio said:


> Here is a good thread on those lids :
> http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/216625-new-insect-fly-cup-lids.html


Thanks!

Seems to be common with these lids.

Haven't had any maggots crawling through the holes tho.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

port_plz said:


> I culture melangastor, turkish and hydei but I'm pretty sure that I've never allowed them to mix while making cultures.


"Turkish" are melanogaster just a different genetic mutation for flightlessness... 

Depending on the other kind of melanogaster you are culturing, warmer temperatures restore a protein needed for the proper development of the wings to develop which resulting in a flying fruit fly from flightless cultures. So it may not be the lids to blame. 

some comments 

Ed


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## cam1941 (Jan 16, 2014)

Whenever it gets warm all of my cultures become over run with fliers...

Another thing I noticed is that when its too warm, in the 80's, the maggots start crawling all the way to the top of the culture and onto the lid. When this happens I know I'm going to get a bunch of fliers.

If the cultures are kept in the 70's I never get fliers and the maggots do not crawl past the middle of the container.


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## radiata (Jul 24, 2010)

port_plz said:


> This is a first for me
> 
> I started using these type of culture lids about 3 weeks ago because I thought they would last a bit longer than the fabric type.
> 
> ...


The link you provided has a review that indicates that some FFs can escape. If some can escape, I would think that other FFs could enter...


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## TheCoop (Oct 24, 2012)

The micro punched lids are a joke.


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## pdfCrazy (Feb 28, 2012)

Rather than these micro punched lids, which I agree are garbage, I would like to see a lid with the same fabric mesh, BUT, with a reduced hole size for culturing in drier environments.


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## thumbnail (Sep 18, 2005)

Have used these new lids since the first few months they came up for sale. My verdict is still the same. I have yet to run into any issues people have posted about. Humidity problems are not an issue being in Georgia. I was worried about mites in the beginning but have yet to encounter them. Given I keep a very clean fly rack with constant cycling of my cultures. My collection is not large by any means but recently has gained enough frogs to up my cultures making to 12 fresh cultures every cycle. I also love the reusable factor with these containers and can get several uses out of them before I discard them.


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## MasterOogway (Mar 22, 2011)

I've actually got a bunch of these lids too that came with my last order, before I realized they had switched styles. Since I'm using the bag method currently I haven't ordered new cups or lids in a bit. I too, have never had any issues with them; the only thing that frustrates me with them is that if the cultures get too hot and the flies and larvae migrate upwards, the larvae tend to plug up all the holes, but I've never seen any be able to get in/out.


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## 55105 (Jan 27, 2015)

Ed said:


> "Turkish" are melanogaster just a different genetic mutation for flightlessness...
> 
> Depending on the other kind of melanogaster you are culturing, warmer temperatures restore a protein needed for the proper development of the wings to develop which resulting in a flying fruit fly from flightless cultures. So it may not be the lids to blame.
> 
> ...


I forgot about temp as possibility. I usually keep my house at about 70-75 F year round. There was one day it got above 80 because the AC was off.


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## 55105 (Jan 27, 2015)

radiata said:


> The link you provided has a review that indicates that some FFs can escape. If some can escape, I would think that other FFs could enter...


The review says "I did receive some with slightly larger holes than others."

The holes on mine are all consistent and tiny.


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## 55105 (Jan 27, 2015)

thumbnail said:


> Have used these new lids since the first few months they came up for sale. My verdict is still the same. I have yet to run into any issues people have posted about. Humidity problems are not an issue being in Georgia. I was worried about mites in the beginning but have yet to encounter them. Given I keep a very clean fly rack with constant cycling of my cultures. My collection is not large by any means but recently has gained enough frogs to up my cultures making to 12 fresh cultures every cycle. I also love the reusable factor with these containers and can get several uses out of them before I discard them.


I've been having trouble with humidity which is why I wanted to try them out. Hopefully the flyers are just a one time thing. So far I like these lids too and they add a cleaner look to the cultures which makes me feel a little better about having thousands of bugs in my house.


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## thumbnail (Sep 18, 2005)

As of today no humidity issues and no mites creeping. Given I keep my fly shelves super clean so it probably does not matter what lid. As for the holes themselves have not had a crawl through or (my real worry) a wild fruit fly finding a way to pass genes through the lid. Seen a couple here and there flying around the frog room but no flyers coming from the cultures. Still very pleased with these lids and do not see a change in the near future.


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## 55105 (Jan 27, 2015)

thumbnail said:


> As of today no humidity issues and no mites creeping. Given I keep my fly shelves super clean so it probably does not matter what lid. As for the holes themselves have not had a crawl through or (my real worry) a wild fruit fly finding a way to pass genes through the lid. Seen a couple here and there flying around the frog room but no flyers coming from the cultures. Still very pleased with these lids and do not see a change in the near future.


I had to give up on these lids... They caused too many problems for me. Some of them had big enough holes that flies would try to squeeze through and get stuck and die. It was actually kind of disturbing.

Also NEHERP now has aluminum screen lids I might be willing to try them out next time I order supplies.


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## tardis101 (Apr 11, 2012)

Here are the new lids I've been using for the past several months. They have fabric, they come on the ff cultures that I order from here: http://www.snakemuseum.com/281-feeders. The picture online still shows the old lids, but every culture I've gotten the last several months have had these new lids. 

I hadn't looked closely at the new lids folks here were getting, I guess I just assumed this was the same thing.  I guess not. I haven't had any issue with fliers or the larvae getting out. 1st pic is from the top and second is from the bottom.

Mike


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## Frogsarefun (Nov 25, 2015)

port_plz said:


> This is a first for me
> 
> I started using these type of culture lids about 3 weeks ago because I thought they would last a bit longer than the fabric type.
> 
> ...


I have been using these lids for about 18 months.
I love that you can wash and reuse 
A few of the lids did have bigger holes, labeled them BIG HOLES, and I use those for vacation feeder lids.
Over all I am very happy with them, I do find summer months have higher air humidity and temps so some cultures are wetter than I would like.
I tried fabric lids wondering if this would keep cultures dryer, it did not.


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