How To Dispense Fruit Flies Into Flight 101

[lovezebs]

KarenB & monotwine
I am thinking that maybe it's a learned thing, sort of an acquired taste that they only like if they grew up with it. I mean it's pretty sad, when your waxbills are standing ankle deep in bugs, and all they can say is "eeuw- eeuw-eeuw!!!" as they sidestep and hop away from the encroaching hoard.

[KarenB]

They saw how squeamish you were.

[Sally]

LOL lovezebs, mine don't even wait for the poor suckers wings to dry. They hawk them from above, scare the whits out of the the bugs that flush and hide on the wire, then the birds dart around eating them all.

I must admit though, I'd only bother with live food for those waxbills that need it. The domesticated types that will live off egg food etc are much easier to please.

I agree, it is not worth the effort to try to supply live food for those domesticated species that are very content with egg food. If I didn't have waxbills, I would not bother with live food at all.

I did try a small bit of ripe fruit (pineapple, banana) in dishes in a few cages. I was quite disappointed to see no fruit flies, when the same fruit was covered with them when I tried this in my kitchen. Then I realized that the reason I wasn't seeing any fruit flies is because the Purple Grenadiers were scarfing them up! If I had my birds in outside aviaries, I would have buckets of ripe fruit in them.

[lovezebs]

KarenB
Me squeamish? Never! Why would I be squeamish with bbbugs crawling up my arms and into my.... well never mind. Suffice it to say, that it's not an experience I want to repeat any time soon.