Any tricks on the feeding off of fruit flies or pins?

[BocaJan]

I have a new batch of vields and grimace at the job of smooshing fruit flies every time I feed the babies. No matter how carefully I mesh the top of the container and shake the flies down, I always manage to get some on the table and make use of my dustbuster. There just has to be a better way! And, talk about jumping pinheads. Those baby crickets are the biggest jumpers.

 

[jannb]

Use the deep tubs. I didn't even have to use the lids and never had a problem with the fruit flies or crickets.

 

[james L]

You just have to be quick.

 

[SSimsswiSS]

For Fruit Flies: Tap the culture cup so flies fall down, than open the lid and dump into similar sized feed off cup. I have a light amount of calcium powder or herptivite in the bottom of this cup. Add amout of flies you want, and powder up the flies. I like using a circular motion to turn the flies white. The powdered up flies don't move around so good, and have trouble trying to climb up and out the sides of the feed off cup.

 

[BocaJan]

My fruit flies are great climbers and climb up the sides of the tubs so the babies can't even get to them. Then, it's over the top and all over the house. Hydai ? are great climbers.

Use the deep tubs. I didn't even have to use the lids and never had a problem with the fruit flies or crickets.

 

[sandrachameleon]

I just bang the fruit fly container once or twice to knock all the flies to the bottom, take the net cloth off the top, turn the container sideways towards upside down, bang it to knock flies into the enclosures, turn it right side up, bang the flies down again to give me an extra couple seconds while i elastic the top back on.
when dusting, I do very similar to SSimsswiSS

babies eat so fast that the flies dont have much chance to get away.

you could also put the flies in the fridge for a minute, to slow them.

For the pinheads, I keep /raise them in a large bucket (too tall/deep for them to jump out of). I put a smaller container onto the bucket. I shake egg crate or whatever over the smaller container until I've got enough pinheads in there, then put a lid on the smaller container. I walk it over to the babies enclosure, hold the container inside the doors, open and shake out the crickets, then slam the doors closed quick quick before any have opportunity to jump out.

 

[BocaJan]

Great techniques Sandra.

I just bang the fruit fly container once or twice to knock all the flies to the bottom, take the net cloth off the top, turn the container sideways towards upside down, bang it to knock flies into the enclosures, turn it right side up, bang the flies down again to give me an extra couple seconds while i elastic the top back on.
when dusting, I do very similar to SSimsswiSS

babies eat so fast that the flies dont have much chance to get away.

you could also put the flies in the fridge for a minute, to slow them.

For the pinheads, I keep /raise them in a large bucket (too tall/deep for them to jump out of). I put a smaller container onto the bucket. I shake egg crate or whatever over the smaller container until I've got enough pinheads in there, then put a lid on the smaller container. I walk it over to the babies enclosure, hold the container inside the doors, open and shake out the crickets, then slam the doors closed quick quick before any have opportunity to jump out.

 

[ijmccollum]

At times I have resorted to leaving fruit in the enclosure to keep the flies from leaving but invariably some do, and the fruit needs replacing.

I also wonder if I don't get straglers in 'cause suddenly some will begin to fly.

 

[Warrix642]

My FF use to escape my enclosures too until... I mist very lightly and VERY FINE before I put the FF in and they wont die but they cant move too much for a while. The flies get a good drink and your chams get a little water. Hope this helps!

Dustin

 

[xanthoman]

no crushing required

melongasters can walk right through most typical cham screen mesh. hydei are twice the size of melongasters, so it makes it much harder for them to escape through the mesh (depending on your specific mesh opening/wire size of course). also, hydei have slightly different behavior than melongaster and imo it makes them much easier to handle. you can temporarily imobilize either ff (for about 30 seconds) by refridgerating them for about 5-10 min (depending on the type of container and fridge temp), then they can handled easily even with the lid off. the window between immobilization and killing them is fairly small, so some experimentation on fridge times according to your fridge temps/container size, may be necessary. you can also make a large funnel out of a sheet of paper and a piece of tape. it also helps to not release gobs more than can be consumed in a short period of time. in this thread; https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-do-you-keep-fruit-flies-your-containers-42353/ (post#9) i have explained a way to release a controlled amount of ff without ever having to immobilize or remove the lid. jmo

 

[BocaJan]

I put an old nylon stocking stretched over a plastic shoe box as a bin for my neonates. The plastic boxwood plant fits well, giving the babies hiding places and lots of little "cups" to dip their thirsty tongues. FF can't fit through the nylons. I tried netting, like wedding veils are made of, but FF can fit through the holes in that unless you double it and sew the two layers together. (Too much trouble).