Basic Fruit Fly Care

Reasons To Use Fruit Flies:

Fruit Flies are an excellent feeder insect for many different types of animals for several reasons.

-Fruit fly cultures are very cheap and produce many, many flies.

-Many species of animals readily accept fruit flies as a staple feeder.  They can also be used to supplement their diet.

-Fruit flies require very little care and are very easy to breed yourself.

-Fruit flies are do not need to be kept at any hard to achieve temperature; room temp is usually optimal.

-Our fruit flies do not fly, so your escapees will be very minimal.

-Fruit flies can climb smooth surfaces, which will catch the eye of your pet, unlike mealworms and similar insects which just sit there motionless.

-Fruit Flies are very healthy for your pet, ensuring he/she will have a happy, healthy life.

-We can supply fruit flies in wholesale amounts to fill any need.

What Feeds On Fruit Flies?

-Small surface-feeding and mid-water feeding fish including angelfish, bettas, killis and gouramis

-Amphibians including frogs, salamanders and newts 

-Reptiles including chameleons, geckos and turtles

-Carnivorous plants including venus fly traps

-Invertebrates including scorpions, Mantids and spiders

-Birds including finches and softbills

D. Melanogaster

D. Melanogaster are smaller than D. Hydei just reaching 1/16" fully grown. These brown flies, while smaller when compared with D. Hydei reproduce much quicker; maggots form about 4 days after freshly made and flies begin to hatch about 8-14 days (10 days being average) from arrival. Our D. Melanogaster are wingless (and obviously flightless), but can climb smooth surfaces.  These flies are easy to raise and culture; see our DIY Culturing Page for details. 

Feed D. Melanogaster fruit flies to...

-Small surface-feeding fish
-Mid-water feeding fish
-Frogs, salamanders and newts 
-Insect-eating reptiles
-Insect-eating plants
-Many species of invertebrates including mantids and scorpions

D. Hydei

Drosophila Hydei have a much longer (roughly double) life cycle than D. Melanogaster, and are also very prolific. Within about 8 days of freshly made D. Hydei cultures, maggots will start appearing; flies will appear in a total of 13-20 days (15 days being average).  D. Hydei are also twice as large as D. Melanogaster reaching a size of 1/8" fully grown.  Our D. Hydei do have wings, but are not able to use them (flightless); however they can climb smooth surfaces.  This species is just as easy to culture as D. Melanogaster; see our DIY Culturing Page for details.

Feed D. Hydei to...

-Turtles
-Amphibians including frogs, newts and salamanders
-Reptiles including chameleons and geckos
-Small birds including finches and softbills