# Throwing out old cultures



## jacobi (Dec 15, 2010)

Hi everyone. I have a question about fruit fly cultures, and what you do with your old cultures. Right now I culture one container each of Hydei and Melanogaster, every 7-10 says. My Melanogaster boom around the two week mark, and crash a few days later, then mites appear, so I usually toss them at three weeks, my Hydei don't stop breeding! Right now I've got a Hydei culture that's almost 40 says old, I'm expecting it to crash any day because it's dry, and no I don't keep it near the other ones, and it is absolutely swarming with fruit flies. I feel bad about throwing them out, I know I need to, but it feels like such a waste.. 

What do you do with your old cultures? When you throw them out, are they still producing? Did you feel like you were "wasting" good fruit flies when you first started throwing out your old cultures?


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

At the 3 week stage my melanogaster cultures are starting to reduce production and it has pretty much stopped by week four (most of the media is gone by that point) so I place them ontop of a light fixture to dry out after which I clean them and reuse. 


Ed


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## frog dude (Nov 11, 2011)

I try to throw out my melo cultures at the 28 day mark. sometimes they are absolutely swarming with fruit flies, sometimes they are almost dead. But people say if you feed or make a culture using a really old culture still booming isn't worth the risk. Now, I don't actually know what the risk is, but I'm sure somebody else will explain that soon.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Feeding them out is fine. The reason you don't want them near your newer cultures is that around that point, the conditions are ideal for massive mite population increases. 

Ed


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

I don't throw them out if they are still producing.... I use the older stunted flies for froglets even stunted hydei I keep around for froglets. I don't keep the old ones by newer cultures. I keep the old ones in another room and make sure they are on some paper towel that has been sprayed down with mite spray to help control the mites.... Once they are done producing or slow down enough that it doesn't make sense keeping them I freeze them knock out the old stuff in a bag and tie it up tight and toss. Then wash the fly cups and lids.....


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## FRISCHFROGS (Jan 15, 2012)

I live in the Desert and it is Dry here.
I was losing cultures because they dried out.
I now have been checking them often and add a little water (drops) to hydrate the culture.
I have really extended my cultures for weeks till all the media is eaten.


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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

Jake, I dry them out as Ed does, but I have them in a separate room to reduce the risk of mites infesting my new cultures. Once it's all dried up, it's so much easier to clean the container.


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## thedude (Nov 28, 2007)

Why would you throw them out if they are producing? I still feed them out and just keep the old cultures away from new ones. If they aren't producing I wash them and reuse them since plastic is good for that


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## Brian317 (Feb 11, 2011)

after producing starts to decline, I pop mine in the freezer. After a day, take it out...a little warm water to the bottom and the entire thing pops out into the trash so I can clean the container. 

That being said, I do keep my older cultures away from my new ones/just started ones....and keep it all on mite paper....just incase...


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## Pacblu202 (May 8, 2012)

Brian317 said:


> after producing starts to decline, I pop mine in the freezer. After a day, take it out...a little warm water to the bottom and the entire thing pops out into the trash so I can clean the container.
> 
> That being said, I do keep my older cultures away from my new ones/just started ones....and keep it all on mite paper....just incase...


That's such a good idea. I bought glass mason jars for the hope that cleaning wouldn't be bad. Idk how they will handle freezing then hot water though.


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## nhaislip (Mar 28, 2010)

I feed all my old ones out right before I freeze them. Or if I have an amazing one still going, I will place the entire culture in the viv. I just make sure no frog could possibly fall into it. Usually just prop the lid open slightly. It then continues to feed for awhile until it completely dies out.


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

nhaislip said:


> I feed all my old ones out right before I freeze them. Or if I have an amazing one still going, I will place the entire culture in the viv. I just make sure no frog could possibly fall into it. Usually just prop the lid open slightly. It then continues to feed for awhile until it completely dies out.


I do this sometimes as well, except I just leave it on it's side with the lid off. If left long enough you can get an explosion of mites, which is another food source they seem to love.


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## Daleo (Jan 31, 2012)

Pacblu202 said:


> That's such a good idea. I bought glass mason jars for the hope that cleaning wouldn't be bad. Idk how they will handle freezing then hot water though.


They'll be ok as long as you start with room temp water and gradually increase the temp. The only time I could imagine them cracking would be high heat as soon as you pull them out of the freezer.


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## jthayer245 (Jan 6, 2013)

Question:

Q1: Where do you guys buy your mite paper from?

Q2: What do you on the cover of a mason jar and Where do you get the material? Coffee filters don't work from me and screen mesh from a screen door doesn't work holes are too big...

R, Joe


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## Dworon1 (May 19, 2012)

You could probably use panty hose. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Brian317 (Feb 11, 2011)

jthayer245 said:


> Question:
> 
> Q1: Where do you guys buy your mite paper from?
> 
> ...


1. There are db vendors that have mite paper. You could also look at Carolina Biological Supply, they have mite paper too. I would buy from one of the vendors first and check to see their stock.

2. I don't use mason jars, so I'm not sure what you could use. I just buy the cheap plastic containers with the pre-made lids and use them over and over. It has worked out great for me.


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