House flies, bluebottles and maggots

[Itwas]

I have read a few times about people feeding their chams houseflies and bluebottles etc and i was wondering at the nutritional value of feeding these?

Fruitflies i can understand because they eat fruit but houseflies and bluebottles? dont they only eat crap and other nasty things? And what about maggots as they only eat dead flesh, do people feed their chams these too?

I am interested as there are plenty of fishing tackle shops in my area but not many reptile suppliers so if I can be convinced that feeding these is nutritionally worthwhile then i may go and get some.

 

[pssh]

Well, the house flies are grown on media like fruit flies, so the maggots are fine to feed. Blue bottle flies need to lay on rotting flesh, but then you transfer the maggots to a media (though bait stores don't.) so those can be fed. The adult flies can be fed honey and bee pollen which actually makes them pretty good for your reptiles.

 

[Todnedo]

Well, the house flies are grown on media like fruit flies, so the maggots are fine to feed. Blue bottle flies need to lay on rotting flesh, but then you transfer the maggots to a media (though bait stores don't.) so those can be fed. The adult flies can be fed honey and bee pollen which actually makes them pretty good for your reptiles.

Why would you need to transfer the maggots to a media?
What kind of media do you use for Blue Bottle flies?

 

[pssh]

Its so that the maggots are better for feeding to pet animals and/or for less nasty rearing. Most producers of blue bottle flies dont transfer them because they are primarily used as bait. I cant remember where, but one research facility was using some special media for them. I don't actually breed BB flies so I haven't looked into the ingredients. I'll see if normal house fly media can be used, I just need to get some chicken liver...

 

[Lizardlover]

People on mantidforum have used success using a dog food base with some rotting chicken liver. Maybe worth joining on your part.

 

[Todnedo]

People on mantidforum have used success using a dog food base with some rotting chicken liver. Maybe worth joining on your part.

Liver has a huge amount of vit. A in it, just something to think about.
Rotten liver?.....Not in my house

 

[Lizardlover]

Its not something for the flies to eat, its for them to lay eggs on and for the maggots to grow on. It is impossible to grow BB flies without some sort of rotting flesh. I would never do that in my own house either, but some claim to have success with it.

 

[pssh]

I imagine they could be tricked into laying on something else. Just need the right stuff!

 

[Ace]

I imagine they could be tricked into laying on something else. Just need the right stuff!

tofu ground beef...jk....interesting, nver knew BB flies egg ayin process...

 

[reptoman]

Its much easier to just get the BB pupae and let them turn into flies. I've gotten 500 pupae from colorcham (Brian) and they were great for feeding my juveniles and adults. Just have to put the adult flies in the fridge for 20-30 minutes or so before putting them in the cage or you will have flies everywhere. They are not a good staple and I can't see taking the trouble to breed my own. Way too messy.

 

[glOckcOma]

So if I happen to catch a regular housefly, this would be bad to feed to my cham?

I have been seeing a few recently in my backyard that are in ther last moments in life and are active but cant fly (easy to catch).

 

[warpdrive]

Its much easier to just get the BB pupae and let them turn into flies. I've gotten 500 pupae from colorcham (Brian) and they were great for feeding my juveniles and adults. Just have to put the adult flies in the fridge for 20-30 minutes or so before putting them in the cage or you will have flies everywhere. They are not a good staple and I can't see taking the trouble to breed my own. Way too messy.

totaly agree with everything you said. I also had great hatch rates from Brian's flys.

sadly the mantid forum is down, and Brian hasn't gotten back to me for days after sending him two emails. I hope both are ok.

Harry

 

[pssh]

20-30 minutes?!? What the heck kind of flies do you have?! I throw mine in the fridge for 1-3 minutes and I'm good to go!

 

[warpdrive]

20-30 minutes?!? What the heck kind of flies do you have?! I throw mine in the fridge for 1-3 minutes and I'm good to go!

we have flys called "Superfly Jimmy Snookas"...they need to be knocked out hard so that they don't fly.

Kara, I thought he ment 2-3 mins and the zeros were a typo.

Harry

 

[pssh]

You have multiple?! It all makes sense now.

I wonder if they would be okay after 20-30 minutes?

 

[Cainschams]

we have flys called "Superfly Jimmy Snookas"...they need to be knocked out hard so that they don't fly.

Now that is funny!!!!!!!!

Pssh, I basically forgot about flies in the fridge and they lasted well over a month. I think if the pupae are getting old its better to hatch them all out and keep in the fridge since the flies themselves last much longer in there.

 

[pssh]

I didn't know the flies themselves would last that long! I had some out in a room that is 60-65 and they died after a few days, even with food... I thought they just couldn't handle the cold!

 

[reptoman]

20-30 minutes?!? What the heck kind of flies do you have?! I throw mine in the fridge for 1-3 minutes and I'm good to go!

I really mean 20-30 minutes. Bluebottles can handle the fridge for hours and be fine. 1-3 minutes and I would barely have enough time to get them into one cage let alone the 12 or so I had to feed. Even at 30 minutes you still only have roughly 10 minutes after taking them out before they are buzzing around and flying off again.

 

[reptoman]

totaly agree with everything you said. I also had great hatch rates from Brian's flys.

sadly the mantid forum is down, and Brian hasn't gotten back to me for days after sending him two emails. I hope both are ok.

Harry

Hi Harry, I was just thinking I need to get another 500 from Brian. I heard he also has mantids. I may try my hand at raising those too. Seems they would make for great feeders especially for babies.

 

[DGray]

can you say "carrion"?

So if I happen to catch a regular housefly, this would be bad to feed to my cham?

I have been seeing a few recently in my backyard that are in ther last moments in life and are active but cant fly (easy to catch).

I am a big advocate for using wild-caught feeders, EXCEPT wild flies. Wild flies like feces and dead animal bits, and as they feed on this nastiness they pick up pathogenic bacteria. I would not use wild flies if the lizards were starving.

Lab-raised flies are duped into laying eggs on meat, but those eggs are then moved to artificial (and clean) media right away.

I'm using my stupid Iphone, or else I'd give you a bunch of links to sites like Ed's Fly Meat and Josh's Frogs. Order clean flies and everybody will be happy.