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House flies (was Hello everyone (anyone?))
> From: Jeremy <adamsjer at ucs_orst.edu>
> Date: Mon, 04 Aug 1997 23:53:59 -0700
>
> I'll try and get the ball rolling by asking has anyone had success
> culturing the house fly? I would be interested in any reasonable
> methods.
Put a dollop of wet cat or dog food in a jar or other open container.
Put it outdoors where you won't have to smell it. Soon it will have
a lot of maggots in it. Maggots are supposed to be a very nutritious
food. They have soft skins so they are easy for fish to eat. If you
want the flies, collect the pupae and place in another container that
will keep the flies in but give them air and a bit of moisture. In a
few days you will have clean odorless flies.
If you have an easily-triggered gag reflex, collect your maggots or
pupae while standing upwind on a windy day. Having a head cold at the
time is helpful, too. :-)
Actually, less noxious media will attract various species of fly. This
summer I found some large maggots in an excessively wet white worm culture.
It didn't smell too objectionable, and the kribensis loved the maggots.
I let a few pupate, and they produced some dark colored flies about half
the size of a house fly.
This sort of thing might be worth experimenting with.
Beverly Erlebacher
Toronto, Ontario Canada