# Blue moldy Fruit Fly cultures



## pdfCrazy (Feb 28, 2012)

I just made up a new batch of 12 new FF containers a few days ago. Every last one of them to varying degrees has a tuquoise mold growing in it that appeared out of nowhere. The donor flys came from one of my older (non-moldy) fly cultures that appeared healthy. In the past, I've experienced the "black death" mold, and the powdery green, but those hit, maybe 1 flyculture at a time randomly. Not a dozen. I cannot afford ANY of the pre-mix fly material. If I had to go that route...I'd be outta frogging. I have for years done this instant potato recipe, thats varied little. Currently, I used plain potato flakes added to boiling water, sugar, and brewers yeast. Booming cultures. Recently I've been experimenting with vinegar and cinnamon as mold an smell inhibitors. The vinegar has done nothing, obviously, and the cinnamon held down the smell VERY temporarily. I've never used methyl paraben, but have known of it for years. Is it still available? Has there been any definative answer whether it is safe or not to use? Any good sources for it? Alternatives? I'd love to hear any effective home remedies for dealing with mold that do not involve purchasing pre-mix fly culture material.


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## chin_monster (Mar 12, 2006)

Methyl Paraben (1 LBS/453 grams) | Josh's Frogs

it's available at josh's frogs. It was part of the DIY media recipe I used and I had good results from the cultures.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Mircowave the cultures and cover them with the lids immediately on removal from the microwave. This will go a long way towards preventing mold growth (better than vinegar..)... The bluish mold may be a form of Penicillum.... Use more flies to start your next cultures since that will get the meda churning better which will inhibit mold growths... 

Ed


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## Ilovebugs (Jul 28, 2012)

Try more bakers yeast. The way benifial yeast or bacteria work is by out competing the bad yeast and bacteria. You can buy benifial bacterial at walmart if you think that is what is causing the culture to turn and then mold. I always add more yeast then what is called for then I seal it in a gallon sized bag. Then, refigerate it for 24hr to jump start the culture.


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## Judy S (Aug 29, 2010)

Can you explain that a little better??? You put the whole culture that you have set with the flies into the refrigerator??? Just reread the post and perhaps you mean the yeast itself before you use it in a culture???


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## Ilovebugs (Jul 28, 2012)

Yeah, the culture medium not the flies. I like to get the medium going for a new culture. Not the flies. Silly me!


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

Ed said:


> Mircowave the cultures and cover them with the lids immediately on removal from the microwave.
> Ed


Hmmm...I've always microwaved my cultures with the lids on. I figured that anything in the lids would then be killed also. I've never experienced any mold problems, but am wondering why the recommendation to put the lids on after microwaving. ???


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## bobrez (Sep 10, 2011)

WendySHall said:


> Hmmm...I've always microwaved my cultures with the lids on. I figured that anything in the lids would then be killed also. I've never experienced any mold problems, but am wondering why the recommendation to put the lids on after microwaving. ???


I use mason jars, so I can't microwave the metal lids. And I do it the way Ed says


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

Lol! In your situation, I can definitely see the reasoning! 
I just don't understand the reasoning with the regular plastic lids. If the microwave kills nasties...slap the lids on and nuke those babies, too! Science wasn't my specialty, though...I must be missing something and if it'll improve my cultures, I'd like to know what it is.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

If you pop the lids on as soon as the culture comes out of the microwave, they get pretty well heated by the steam coming off the media which is also then contained in the container longer... 

Ed


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

Would that then for some reason work better than microwaving with them on and leaving them on once they are removed from the microwave?


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

WendySHall said:


> Would that then for some reason work better than microwaving with them on and leaving them on once they are removed from the microwave?


Not really, but unless your having lots of problems with mold, maybe not necessary (but then when I was cooking my cultures, also bleach my lids so that disinfects them.) 
Since switching to a manufacturers brand I haven't had any mold issues. 

Ed


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

I've never really had any issues with mold at all (knock on wood!) and have been using homemade media almost from the start. I've also been doing the lid-bleaching ritual since the beginning. It makes cleaning them soooo much easier!

Thanks so much for answering my questions, Ed...I appreciate it.


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

i've always been hesitant about microwaving plastic containers that may or may not be rated to go into the microwave. can someone please shed some light about that?


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

goof901 said:


> i've always been hesitant about microwaving plastic containers that may or may not be rated to go into the microwave. can someone please shed some light about that?


The fruit fly cups are rated for being autoclaved... 


Ed


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## Kalakole (Jun 30, 2011)

I had blue mold before in my cultures. It went away after 7 days when there were a lot of maggots around, they will eat it. Also, I started to add a bit more vinegar to my mix and microwaving for a minute and haven't seen the blue mold since.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Hey Wendy. I put my lids on before microwaving too. It's been working well.


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

So, I'm not the only one.  I think I've been doing it that way since I first learned about microwaving the media. I no longer worry about using hot or boiled water. I just mix it up in the cup, slap on a lid, microwave it, remove and let cool, and then add the flies. 

To the OP, here's the recipe I use which is very basic and I think is very similar to most...
6 c potato flakes
1 c brewer's yeast
1 c powdered sugar
2 T cinnamon
1 t methyl paraben

I usually make a few batches at once (mixed seperately) and store it away. The combination of the cinnamon and methyl paraben has worked well for me over the last couple of years.


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## pdfCrazy (Feb 28, 2012)

LOL, I tried a whole batch that got mixed, then Nuked. Very little blue mold. Instead, I got fuzzy yellow mold. Ugghhh. Yuou know....and I should have mentioned this before. I exited the hobby around 2001 and just got back in about 6 months ago. The yeast I'm using, well, its a 1 gallon jar of brewers yeast......from 13 years ago. I assumed it would NOT be as good as new. But I bet the yeast is practically dead, and may have mold spores IN IT, from the age, adn sitting around for so long. I hate to throw out a 50 dollar jar of brewers yeast though. Maybe I'll buy a new (smaller) container of yeast and experiment to see if it makes a difference.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

pdfCrazy said:


> LOL, I tried a whole batch that got mixed, then Nuked. Very little blue mold. Instead, I got fuzzy yellow mold. Ugghhh. Yuou know....and I should have mentioned this before. I exited the hobby around 2001 and just got back in about 6 months ago. The yeast I'm using, well, its a 1 gallon jar of brewers yeast......from 13 years ago. I assumed it would NOT be as good as new. But I bet the yeast is practically dead, and may have mold spores IN IT, from the age, adn sitting around for so long. I hate to throw out a 50 dollar jar of brewers yeast though. Maybe I'll buy a new (smaller) container of yeast and experiment to see if it makes a difference.


Yes, I would definitely throw that out.
If you want to try a test batch with some Methyl Paraben, swing on by. I'll give you a little bit to test out.


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

$50.00 for Brewers Yeast??? Seriously? If so, you may want to start buying it here...
http://www.joshsfrogs.com/brewers-yeast-5-lbs-15-cups.html
It's only 1 c. short of a gallon...*much* better deal price-wise and they also carry the Methyl Paraben that Doug was talking about.


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## pdfCrazy (Feb 28, 2012)

Wow, that is cheap. Yeah, I had gotten mine at a health food store years ago, Vitamin Cottage. Even a local grocery store here, 32 oz cans are 18$. So it looks like josh's is very reasonable. Thanks Doug, I may take you up on that.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

You know where to find me.


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