# Fruit fly set up



## heatfreakk3 (Oct 15, 2008)

Hey guys, I was just wondering if you guys would mind sharing pictures of your alls fruit fly and other bug set up. I've been having a pretty big problem with mites with my isos and fruit flys lately, and just wanted to see some of your guys set ups, and how you keep mites out. Thanks.


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## verybadcow (Aug 6, 2010)

Wire bakers rack is the way to go. I used to keep my cultures on a book shelves but when I had mites pop up they would spread like crazy. Now that I have them on racks, I don't have that problem. Also, toss out those FF cultures once they stop producing, having them sit there and get old really increases the chance of an outbreak.


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## DARTGUY41 (Aug 13, 2011)

I use paper towels with mite spray on them on top of a bakers racks.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

verybadcow said:


> Wire bakers rack is the way to go. I used to keep my cultures on a book shelves but when I had mites pop up they would spread like crazy. Now that I have them on racks, I don't have that problem. Also, toss out those FF cultures once they stop producing, having them sit there and get old really increases the chance of an outbreak.


I've had outbreaks from time to time and when I've looked at the wire shelves, they were covered with little white mobile dots..... usually because I missed an old culture or my mite paper was too old... 

The first thing is to seperate the two cultures if possible if not use mite paper under both of them. The second thing you can do is look at the foods you are feeding to the isopods. If you are using a lot of grainbased foods, then that is probably the source of the mites in the isopods cultures or it is supporting growth from mites that migrated from the fly cultures. 

Ed


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## verybadcow (Aug 6, 2010)

I tried the papertowels and mite spray trick, however it never worked for me. I assume the mite spray works only on predatory mites and not the more common grain mites. Hell, I even directly sprayed them and watched as they crawled through it and carried on with business as usual.


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## DARTGUY41 (Aug 13, 2011)

I used some pretty strong stuff that is used for birds it seems to do its job most of the time unless I forget to spray it down. I used reptile mite spray and it never worked well. I have also thought about using a container with a little bit of water in the bottom to keep the cultures from getting too dry and keep mites from crawling in. I make so many cultures, losing one or two to mites never seemed worth the trouble.


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

From left to right:
*
Tropical springtails*
*Mixed iso culture* (Bright Orange Sow Bugs, Sow Bugs Gray Porcellio, Pill Bugs Armadillidium vulgare, Skirted Isopods Oniscus asellus, Jungle Micropods, and tropical white springs) This culture is amazing! Insane production and just decimates any food scraps I put in there. 
*Bird seed beetles
Bean Beatles
melanogaster*

No mite problems and no mite prevention to speak of. Just dumb luck!


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

Here's what I do. All cultures are on a tray that is covered in mite powder. there's egg crate in the tray, so the cultures don't sit directly in the powder. Freshest cultures at the top. Oldest at the bottom. Each shelf is about a week apart. No mite outbreaks so far.


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## chesney (Jan 18, 2007)

Wow Glenn, that's a lot of cultures!


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

chesney said:


> Wow Glenn, that's a lot of cultures!


LOL Yep, it is. Every time I think about cutting back, I have someone that wants some. I just keep plugging along at 24/week. It's no biggie and cheap.


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

frogfreak said:


> Here's what I do. All cultures are on a tray that is covered in mite powder. there's egg crate in the tray, so the cultures don't sit directly in the powder. Freshest cultures at the top. Oldest at the bottom. Each shelf is about a week apart. No mite outbreaks so far.


 Where on earth did you find those trays?


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## dtfleming (Dec 27, 2010)

Glenn, very nice setup and I second where did you find them? I am assume since your in the great north, from some place there.


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

Hi Zack

I made them out of chloroplast and eggcrate and silicone. It was pretty easy to do. They lasted me 2 years and I'm now replacing them with wood ones.


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## Tadbit (Jul 16, 2010)

frogfreak said:


> Hi Zack
> 
> I made them out of chloroplast and eggcrate and silicone. It was pretty easy to do. They lasted me 2 years and I'm now replacing them with wood ones.


Out of curiosity is the change to wood more for function or aesthetics?

Nice setup by the way!


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

Thanks!

These ones are starting to get old and I need something with more strength. I want to put all my springtail cultures on trays too. They're heavy with all the water, so I'm switching out to wood.


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## DrAzura (Feb 15, 2011)

Glenn, Just curious to the brand of mite powder you use.


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

Hi,

I get it from here:

THE DROSOPHILA CO
JERRY TRESSER, [email protected]
BULK FLY LISTING , http://www.jtresser.com/FLIES.html


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## RobR (Dec 24, 2011)

DrAzura said:


> Glenn, Just curious to the brand of mite powder you use.


Neither of those links worked for me but I see Neherp carries mite powder. Anyone know if the powder lasts any longer than paper or sprayed towels?http://www.neherpetoculture.com/medschems.htm


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

Ooops...10 charaacters


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