# Fruit flys ruin my week



## vivlover10 (Oct 10, 2010)

So I got home today from 1 week of camping in the woods, and I go to feed my frogs like I always do. And what do I find? two dead cultures, not a single fly. Now my frogs are starving and I am not paying $20 for a sh!t culture. On top of all of this I have a newly morphed froglet. Ahhhhhhhhhhh suggestions please!


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## jeeperrs (Jan 14, 2010)

vivlover10 said:


> So I got home today from 1 week of camping in the woods, and I go to feed my frogs like I always do. And what do I find? two dead cultures, not a single fly. Now my frogs are starving and I am not paying $20 for a sh!t culture. On top of all of this I have a newly morphed froglet. Ahhhhhhhhhhh suggestions please!


I don't have any suggestions if you aren't going to pay for a culture...If you have springs the froglet would be fine with those while you get new cultures. If not...you may want to two day ship some cultures.


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## oddlot (Jun 28, 2010)

The only thing I can suggest is post where you are located and pay $20 for non sh!t cultures from someone on the board if you can.


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## mad6291 (May 28, 2012)

Do what you must to ensure the safety of the frogs. Personally, $20 or the life of one of my frogs?? Easy, I skip lunch, or no Starbucks, or Mc D's, or ____, if I am on a tight budget for that week. If $$ is not an issue, no fuss, the life of my frogs are priceless to me. Next to my children, their well being is a priority, just like the other living creatures I have taken into my care as my responsibility. Make the purchase; feeding issue taken care of, and build from there. 
Lost or spent money can be made again; lives are gone forever. You may feel different about pets you keep however. . .


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## Pacblu202 (May 8, 2012)

Where are you located? I guarantee you could get a culture ready and have someone near you seed it for free or for a few bucks. Most people won't mind if they have plenty.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Do you have a petco nearby? They often sell melanogasters in decent cultures. Around 10 bucks where I am.


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## radiata (Jul 24, 2010)

vivlover10 said:


> So I got home today from 1 week of camping in the woods, and I go to feed my frogs like I always do. And what do I find? two dead cultures, not a single fly. Now my frogs are starving and I am not paying $20 for a sh!t culture. On top of all of this I have a newly morphed froglet. Ahhhhhhhhhhh suggestions please!


Where are you?


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## vivlover10 (Oct 10, 2010)

I just oRdered four cultures from josh's frogs. They should come in 3 days. I am looking for a store that can sell me some nice producing ones. I should have added that the price is not my problem ( you don't have a choice, the frogs are worth way more than$20) it's just how many flies that are producing out of it.


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## pnwpdf (Nov 9, 2010)

I second frogface's comment about Petco. They sell fruit fly cultures that are actually very nice cultures (when they are fresh). I still pick up some cultures from them every once in a while, when I break containers or something. $9.99 a culture, and they'll produce thousands of flies.


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## NM Crawler (Jan 23, 2012)

I'm in the same but my friend, only thing you can do Is find a fellow forger in your area and buy or trade for a starter/ feeder cultures. That's what I had to do due to hot weather and cultures going sterile. Just spent $40 bucks for 5 cultures from fly cafe. Cheaper than having 19 dart die. Just part of the hobby, sad to say. Good luck my man.


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## MonarchzMan (Oct 23, 2006)

I would check your dead cultures and see if they have mites. I've had cultures crash really quickly because of mites infesting it. Be sure that, if you do have mites, you take proper precaution not to do cross contamination with your new flies and just have to same problem again in a couple weeks.


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## AReaHerps (Jul 27, 2012)

Hi guys. Fresh DB member here. I don't mean to jack this thread. 
So I bought a culture this weekend at a herp expo in SJ from Bassett's Cricket Ranch and only a few days later I actually noticed this thing completely full of mites! I'm sure it will crash and stop producing soon. Could you guys help me out. I started 3 cultures from it so I'm guessing the flies I used had mites on them? Probably means those cultures are junk too right? My main concern though is I've been feeding my new darts with these crappy flies. Should I worry? Will they be producing like crazy in my viv? If yes, any steps I could take now to control the growth. I don't mean to jack your thread, just seemed like appropriate questions since your culture crashed like that. Thanks for your wisdom DB. 

Sent from my Android Tapatalk App!


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

AReaHerps said:


> Hi guys. Fresh DB member here. I don't mean to jack this thread.
> So I bought a culture this weekend at a herp expo in SJ from Bassett's Cricket Ranch and only a few days later I actually noticed this thing completely full of mites! I'm sure it will crash and stop producing soon. Could you guys help me out. I started 3 cultures from it so I'm guessing the flies I used had mites on them? Probably means those cultures are junk too right? My main concern though is I've been feeding my new darts with these crappy flies. Should I worry? Will they be producing like crazy in my viv? If yes, any steps I could take now to control the growth. I don't mean to jack your thread, just seemed like appropriate questions since your culture crashed like that. Thanks for your wisdom DB.
> 
> Sent from my Android Tapatalk App!


Seperate the flies out of the cultures into your feeding cup (I use a smaller fruit fly culture tube), dust them heavily with a fine supplement dust. In a smaller container more flies will be at the top and most of the mites will be on the bottom. Use the mites from the top to seed your new cultures. 

The cultures are fine to use to feed out but until you get the flies well established keep cultures 3 weeks or older far away from your newer cultures (and I strongly suggest using mite paper under both). 



Mites are something that you just need to be aware of and work to minimize thier effect on the cultures, they are not an automatic doom.... 

Some comments

Ed


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## AReaHerps (Jul 27, 2012)

Thanks for your reply Ed! Appreciate it. I will start some new cultures and dust the flies as you suggested then seed them.


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## vivlover10 (Oct 10, 2010)

I have now have 6 cultures of producing flies and my frogs are super fat and healthy. With all that food I guess it triggered breeding behavior because now I got three tads swimming around. I also got mite spray . . .


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