How to make Flightless Fruit Fly Cultures!!!

In order to keep dart frogs, one must culture fruit flies in order to ensure you always have food for them without breaking the bank! In this video, I share all of the information I've learned in the last several years keeping dart frogs about culturing fruit flies.

[@trevorbraden5448]

This is definitely one of the best videos on KZbin for this subject

[@michaelanasakta2378]

Thank you DF Queen. I am just beginning my dart frog journey and could not understand how to keep fruit flies without having to constantly buy new batches. I looked at numerous videos but until I saw this one I couldn't put it all together. Your presentation is amazing. Finally, I feel confident. I see how I must start and then continue in a cycle to maintain a constant supply. You are a great teacher! Thank you.

[@thishappypunk1763]

Thanks for the info on this, just started doing my own cultures.. also describing a kettle as a "nifty gadget" like its a new invention had me in stitches, being from England you'd be hard pressed to find a home without one

[@Phytoxane]

I've been culturing my fruit flies in a manner very close to this for about a year, and if I had all theses tips when I first started it would have made the journey quite easier! Nice videos, you are straight to the point and give explanations for a good comprehension. I am struggling with media consistency, because by week 2 and 3 it gets very runny which makes it hard to harvest the flies without it getting everywhere on the sides and flies sticking to it. I see you use much more excelsior than me, maybe that would help as it absorbs some liquid.. I only tried making the media with less water. Thanks for sharing your method. :) Also, I never thought you could seed with DUSTED flies, without them dying shortly after. This is good to know, I will use my extra of dusted next time instead of just dumping them.

[@darrenjenkins466]

Been about 6 years since I’ve had dart frogs and am getting back into the hobby. Thanks for your video.

[@yanggarbo1989]

thanks for this video. I have jumping spiders, mourning geckos, wolf spiders, and gold dust day geckos they all get fruit flies as one of the feeders. no dart frogs yet. your video is informative and helpful.

[@suesun7072]

Great and informative video! Thank you! Specially the weekly development samples gave an good inside! I appreciate!

[@TheDartFrogQueen]

Sue Sun Thank you for the kind words!! I'm so happy to help!! :) 💖💖💖

[@seagullse]

It’s interesting to see these cultures being used so quickly! I am hoping to create a few cultures to feed my mantid nymphs :) Just a culture or two could feed tons upon tons of them!

[@lizdyson3627]

Thank you for showing this. I've been struggling to understand fly cultures.

[@diegocz2399]

This is definitely helpful since I’m thinking of getting a giant African mantis nymph. Great informational video.

[@heathervestal2382]

What a great and informative video. Thank you so much for sharing how you do it.

[@kars8796]

Can you clean the cups and reuse them instead of throwing them out??

[@Tismesue]

Yes, you can. Please see my reply to Phil Durst. I can't copy my reply.

[@JunFeril]

Great video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge

[@dings215]

you're so organized, DFQ. I love these vids.

[@TheDartFrogQueen]

dings215 Aw, Thank you!! I appreciate that!! 💖💖💖

[@hardwayreptilesnfeeders2592]

A lot of great information thank you

[@ereynolds4637]

I started buying fruit flies for my singular tarantula sling. (I'm getting 2 more but it won't make a difference) I started with ones you can buy at petco and then I went to an expo and I bought containers like you show there. Long story short now I have a colony that will start to die soon and there are *a lot* of flies in it. I'm looking at having to separate it into 3 cultures. All for a singular baby tarantula.

[@samanthageach3146]

Cant you feed your tarantula pinhead crickets? To me it seems like that is a much easier and cheaper option. I have about 40 tarantulas and have never fed them flies, not even the smallest dwarf slings. Only crickets, mealworms and occasional superworms for my really large spiders. The fly cultures are for my dart frogs.

[@christiannewton8383]

Thanks for a really comprehensive How-To. How old are the flies that you use to seed a new cultures?

[@cjlward2832]

Very informative vid thanks for sharing

[@cameron9885]

How do you transfer the flies from container to container? I see you already had them dusted in a container but how did you get them in there without getting flies all over the place? Please help, starting my own culture soon.

[@robertofaslan1638]

I looked on Amazon, but could not find "mite paper" or "bug paper." Could you please show a picture of this or the specific item from Amazon? In fact, I'm having trouble finding the 32 oz containers with vented lids - that aren't so expensive or have bad ratings. I found one set of 10 for about $16, but that seems quite expensive. Thank You. Very helpful video!

[@SqueakerChimp]

This nifty thing 😂😂😂😂😂😂 a kettle 😂😂😂😂😂 I literally laughed out loud.

[@br1tkr0si54]

sorry if youve already explained this...ive noticed in your feeding videos that you have the fruit flies in a container by themselves (without the substrate or food) and i was wondering how you get them separated like that

[@TheDartFrogQueen]

Br1tKr0si5 Hey!! I actually posted a video some time ago about exactly this, showing how to remove fruit flies from their cultures into a cup for feeding time!! It should definitely answer your question!!

[@phirstdast4162]

Informative, but i find it somewhat sad that you're throwing away so many plastic cups weekly. We are in this hobby bcuz we love nature and animals. I think that you can probably help reduce waste if you use glass jars with a rubber band securing a paper towel and then throw them in the dish washer and reuse them again. It will also save you some money.

[@3dPrintingMillennial]

Phirst Dast some are in it for the conservation and preservation.... And others are in it just for the money 😔

[@JTBReptiles]

That’s a fantastic point that you make there. I’m sure that there’s a way around this - I mean, you could surely disinfect the pots after use?

[@goneviral6037]

Thought the same thing, hope she recycles all that plastic

[@loganeberhart835]

@@3dPrintingMillennial I use compostable deli cups from eco products!

[@AllCowsMustGame]

@@3dPrintingMillennial You really think she does this for money? After the countless videos and all the effort she puts in including her talking about many aspects that are best for animals or just informative videos on the animals? Maybe she just never thought to use a glass jar. Maybe she found that this works best for her uses. Phirst directly said the glass would save money, so why would she go about using a method that costs more money? If she only cared about money, she would cut corners and typically not put much effort into caring for the animals.

[@rubenarce4057]

Really informative, thank you !!

[@bryancorona5196]

Great Video!!! I'm just beginning the dart frog hobby and this helped out a lot, Thanks!

[@trishafisha918]

hi do you recycle the cups like wash them out or do you just chuck them out and starte with a clean cup just my opinion what you are doing works for you its great I really like what you do you take great care of your frogs thank you for this video have a great day enjoy life I will this 🎥👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻😇🌹 👵🐟♎🕊🌞🏊‍♀️🌹😷

[@ineedmorenaruto]

I don't know what she does, but the easy way to reuse them is to freeze the cups so the media pops out like an ice cube, then just wipe off the larva casings off the sides and it's good to go.

[@manturian]

So in the beginning of your video you showed dusted flies that you start your cultures. What is the dust, why do it, and how much do you use? Also is the dust that keeps them from jumping around in your container before you add them to the culture?

[@hillbillyhen6673]

Newbie here thank you this was very helpful

[@dinneratmoms]

Wonderful Video thank you, but I' curious how you keep the white mold/fungus from growing on top of your media? thank you.

[@Thankyou111]

Recently, I set my small painting business aside, needing to relocate, in order to see family on need of help. When we break our monthly profits down into hours spent, some of us sorta get to pick and choose our work. In other words, in regards to profit, we would sometimes much rather work 1 hour on advertising, or furthering our research for purchases etc, rather than paying myself $40 per month, to wash glass jars etc , for a half hr. every month washing jars, or whatever... Plus the heated water cost, the detergent, the jars are harder to get my hands into, when anything is stuck hard in the bottoms... That leads to soaking them on hot water, which is multi step process, totally aggravating to some of us, when we just want to sit and watch our creatures....

[@margaretj0309]

Awesome instructions. Thank you.

[@Ballooner]

"This nifty thing"? Do you guys not use kettles over there? They're in practically every home in the UK 🤣

[@CaitlinG]

Helpful Video, Thanks!

[@TheDartFrogQueen]

Caitlin G Thank you!! :)

[@rraspovic]

Why im watching this, I dont even have frogs 😂

[@balzonurchin]

I've just finished the background of my first vivarium, and I'm practicing growing flies. Right now I have two booming, 3 week old, cultures of hydei, one that's 12 days old (started with very few flies- maybe a dozen to twenty), and a brand new one I just started today. I've only just noticed maggots in the 12 day old one today, and they're teenie. So what I'm getting at is that these flies seem to take almost 3 weeks to hatch out. Is that pretty normal for hydei, or could it be my medium, temperature, or something else? The booming cultures are ridiculous though- just a huge pile of flies. Could the longer cycle just be a product of my particular flies' lineage? It also might be interesting to note that 1-2% do in fact fly, and I don't mean hop & glide, either. I mean they really fly! The first time I was handling them, I was working in a deep tub to contain the escapees, and a couple of them flew out of the tub and across my kitchen. Anyhow, what I'm really curious about, is can I get away with overfeeding the frogs so that I can disappear for a week? Also, when I plant for the first time, I have about a gajillion springtails to seed with, but it's quite apparent that I'm a long ways off from having any harvestable isopod population. Can I do without isopods for the first several months, or should I drop some bucks on several more starter cultures, so that I have something to start with?

[@goneviral6037]

Could you just throw them out after 3 weeks and never have mites?

[@binal-flecki2387]

Can I use shredded paper in place of the wood?

[@bombina71]

What is the best temprature for the culture? Great vid btw!

[@carlcook6615]

Thank you DFQ 🐸

[@TheDartFrogQueen]

Carl Cook My pleasure!! 💖

[@antoniterrarium]

Really helpful vid!

[@TheDartFrogQueen]

antoniterrarium Thank you!! :)

[@luuk6016]

1: What are the flies callt 2: where can you buy them 3: How much a week do you have to feed them Sorry for my bad english😂

[@luuk6016]

And How many flies does one frog need

[@Victory..I]

She doesn't reply..

[@SDReptiles]

Is it possible to wash out the 32 oz deli cup and reuse them? Just the container not the wood, or even the lid...

[@kevingarcia-alvarado3766]

SDReptiles yes

[@valleykid1514]

Love your videos

[@cesarcervantes1393]

how many times do you feed your frog? i only have two frog

[@PegzieBean]

Sorry if you explained this but you should 1 week culture up to 4 week culture. So when you're making a new culture what "week" do you use for the new one?

[@rebelicious4076]

This video just made me so much more confused than I was before. I know the recipe I'm going to use I know where I'm getting my seeder batch of flies from but now I'm afraid I can't do it right. I'm 37 and math still isn't my thing! I'm going to be feeding baby regal jumping spiders. Have an egg sac about to bust open then one now week till they may start coming out of the nest and I'll have to wrangle them into new enclosures and feed them flightless fruit flies until they are big enough to take small crickets or wax worms etc etc etc I don't know how many containers to make and how often to make them now!! CRAP 🤔

[@sylviadlp2112]

Lol just buy them for now! Then eventually breed them

[@alyssacampana4288]

This is probably a really stupid question...but where do the flies originally come from? Do you order them? If so, from where?

[@GlassBoxAquatics]

I seen in your previous video that you keep them in sterilite containers, do you put lids on them also? What humidity level should i be maintaining for the fly cultures, and what are some methods of maintaining that humidity level? Thanks!

[@TheDartFrogQueen]

IowaExotics Hey! i do not use the lids, I only use the tub part, lined with mite paper. I live in FL, so managing the humidity is not a problem for me! I do know that fruit fly cultures thrive in the dark, so if you live in an especially dry place where you have trouble maintaining humidity, using a dresser or closet would be beneficial to provide both darkness and an enclosed place to play with humidity!

[@fern_gully]

Thanks for this video! Could you please post a link for the mite paper on amazon?

[@TwilightRests]

I have a culture jar of flightless fruit flies (melanogaster) that I bought. It already has media at the bottom but it's running out. Can I wait for the hot media to cool and then use a turkey baster to insert it at the bottom of my jar so that I can re-use it? I don't need a lot of cultures because I just feed a few to my fish occasionally. To avoid mites, could I just move the fruit flies out (at 4 weeks) into a temporary container, clean out the first one, put in the new media and wood fiber, and wait a day, and then move the fruit flies back in?

[@Amythehealer]

Great video this helped alot. One question, I can't find anything called bug paper or mite paper on Amazon do you know the brand name? Thanks

[@sweetspike16]

I'm horrible about keeping a schedule 😆 I either make too much or not enough

[@TheDartFrogQueen]

sweetspike16 The struggle is real!! It took me about two years to get on a solid, sustainable schedule, but the trial and error paid off and helped me reach my current schedule that I haven't budged from in a solid 2.5+ years!! It's definitely worth it!!

[@venenoanfibio6547]

Good video!!

[@TheDartFrogQueen]

Veneno Anfibio Gracias!! :)

[@goneviral6037]

Could prolly put Saran Wrap in first then the mixture and stuff the when time to toss just pull out and reuse plastic cup!!!! I’m a genius!!!!

[@Finley-xb1ht]

I have a fruit fly culture, but there are some dead ones that are squished between the medium and the plastic of the container, will this ruin the culture?

[@mantisplace]

Nice video!

[@dtruman123]

Do they feed of the fly culture? So they can stay in the container until they run out of food?

[@128cwk3]

Really helpful! thx!

[@TheDartFrogQueen]

wk wk Thank you!! :)

[@explantculture]

Thanks, very informative

[@JayeVee]

Wait so the repashy calcium will actually dust off mites?

[@MackenzieProffit]

Do the culture produce any sort of negative smells?

[@marksandland208]

My problem is keeping any type of consistency. Cultures are fine for weeks then nothing. Didn’t know to keep them in the dark, also what temperature is best.? Think mine get too hot, then too cold.

[@EEEKROAR]

Great info

[@jjmeyerwtf]

Did I hear a "psych?" 1:47 Ha! Great tutorial. Thank you Your Majesty.

[@BlackDim100]

Great info, thanks~!

[@jlcascio6346]

thanks for the info.

[@TheDartFrogQueen]

Joseph Cascio It's my pleasure!! 💖

[@ReginaDeemer]

hello dear, do you put your friut fry culre in the refer

[@tylerelting1977]

Do I start a new culture with flies from a 3 week culture?

[@jessejames171]

what are the essentials to start a fruit fly culture?

[@TheDartFrogQueen]

Jesse James Hey!! The first couple of minutes of this video highlights the essentials necessary to start a fly culture! :)

[@jessikleingartner424]

I'm pretty sure if not positive Josh's frogs has a fruit fly culture kit 😄 (lol super late)

[@alyssa_the_noodle5228]

Can you use existing cultures to make new ones? I’m trying to start new ones from just the one I have

[@kylebaranovich4154]

hey whats a good species for intermediate keeper 12x12x24

[@TheDartFrogQueen]

Kyle Baranovich a pair of Ranitomeya or Pumilio could work in that size enclosure, as long as its jam packed with bromeliads!! I like to place a few pieces of wood vertically, and then use zip ties to attach Bromeliads up and down to fill all the air space. It works out great that way!!

[@rcgamer4524]

Excellent video thank you, after keeping, dubia roaches, various Isopods, and grindal worms, one thing has drove me insane, mites are a true nightmare, I hate them with a passion lol.

[@99ronmarsh]

Great tips new sub to your channel. Just starting off with this hobby! You been I BIG help thx.

[@zuess35]

About how many cultures do you get out of the big tub of repashy?

[@eisvogel8099]

This mite paper can't be used in the fruitfly culture itself, can it? Does it conterminate the fruitflies?

[@floydbundy]

What is your feeding schedule? I just started backing off to every other day.

[@TheDartFrogQueen]

floydbundy I have a radical feeding schedule. I feed twice a week, but I feed large amounts so as for the frogs to have leftovers to last them a few days. With this method, they feast on feeding day and then graze at their leisure for two days or so, until the next feeding day. Ideally, I would love to feed small amounts every other day, but it's not feasible for me, since I do everything single-handedly! I personally feel like daily feedings might be a bit redundant, every other day is perfect!

[@SRCReptiles]

Very informitive!

[@batuocduong8575]

How much temperature the fruitfly can live ?

[@bobbymalta73]

Thks for sharing!

[@Sharon8thgrade]

I was wondering if you can compost the leftovers from week 4? Or is that not a good idea

[@natashagraves9238]

generally, it is not recommended to release the media or fruit flies unless it has been frozen for about a week as far as i know :)

[@maxxiang8746]

what if you add some wild fruit flies as well? hybrids?

[@laughingc0w]

Very helpful!

[@MistressOP]

can you make larget culture. like in big tubs?

[@goneviral6037]

Could you used wood shavings for them to live on?

[@kiernanking1363]

TY dartfrogqueen!!!!!!!

[@TheDartFrogQueen]

Kiernan King I hope this was helpful to you!!! 💖

[@LeifWarner]

Can you re-use those lids?

[@khuumeleon1457]

@ 10:45 you said you don't mix your fresh culture with your old ones. does this mean you don't reuse your fly batches? i.e. use the fourth week flies to start a new culture. thanks!

[@TheDartFrogQueen]

Khuumeleon excellent question! I was referring strictly to the storing of the cultures. This is just another mite control method. Keeping each batch seperate helps contain the cross contamination of mites! Sometimes older cultures will start to have mites at around week 3 or 4, so I keep them seperate from my fresh ones so none carry over. On feeding days, I use every single culture, and dump the flies all into the same cup. At this point, they can be mixed because the health of any cultures isn't at stake... but I still take the extra measure of dumping them out in order of newest cultures to oldest, so I touch the oldest cultures last! It sounds a bit exaggerated, but I can't even tell you how much mite infestations, crashed cultures, time, stress, money, and tears it has taken me to reach the conclusion that taking these few extra steps is so worth it, and quickly becomes habit!!

[@amysnews6808]

Is there someplace to contact you to talk? I have 1 baby froglet, just morphed from a tadpole and I'm lost on how to care for the little guy. All I have is one small culture I got at Petco and I have no idea what week it's in. How many cultures do you think I need to buy to FEED the frog from now until any new cultures start producing adult flies AND have enough flies to start my own cultures?

[@amysnews6808]

Do you put the mite paper IN the bottom of the culture or sit the container ON the mite paper?

[@andiebeth]

She stores the container on top of the mite paper, I believe.

[@snowballil3133]

are you good with dubia roaches? mine have mites any clue how to cure it.

[@IPR36]

That nifty thing is commonly known as a kettle FYI

[@juliansantos6023]

thanks for the info but WHY DO YOU NEED 24 FRUIT CULTURES EVERY WEEK

[@dogsarebetter]

At the time she had over 300 animals (mostly dart frogs)

[@tomrobertson6747]

A culture of mine is doing something I wasn't expecting. The flies seem lethargic. I am feeding them to praying mantids and a surprising number of mantids are dying. Could the 2 problems be related?

[@andiebeth]

I'm not for sure, but maybe your fruit flies have mites? Maybe buy a completely new batch of fruit flies from a pet shop and start fresh.

[@tomrobertson6747]

@@andiebeth I've heard that all fruit fly cultures have mites, so it's a matter of controlling them.

[@dionicia12]

What did you dust them with prior to seeding them in a new container? Also how much would you feed a dart frog in one feeding? We are getting started and trying to get a schedule down. TIA

[@kevingarcia-alvarado3766]

dionicia12 calcium powder (mainly used in dart frogs) she said it prevents mites from transferring

[@rebelicious4076]

@@kevingarcia-alvarado3766 two years later lol is that just regular calcium powder made for dusting the food?

[@Dareen1992]

How to deal with flies with wings Its hard for me to feed my spiders 😂most of them flies

[@--Paws--]

I wonder if mites are good for feeding fish or they just an overall nuisance.

[@demolitionworm]

come back queen

[@airplanegeorge]

my flightless fruit flys seem to have produced offspring that can fly. what's up with that? wild fruit fly contamination? did you ever have that problem??

[@malicious-monkey2845]

This can happen if you mix cultures from different sources.

[@thesunsetreptiles]

You can get them at smart and final

[@giollanos2803]

Do you sell your frogs?

[@fernandoaries9817]

🐸Yummy 😋

[@CarlosRodriguez-tb9by]

Do you sell you're frogs