FINCHforum

I have found a reptile/bird store in my area that sells flightless fruit flies. Has anyone fed these? They seem easy to culture and I think my bananaquits might eat them.

More info here:
http://www.buyfruitflies.com/fruitfly_info.html

Thanks for the link, vetbridge! I have not fed these before, but I have read that they would be good for the waxbills that need an insectivorous diet. I have fed mealworms before. Also read that Cordon Bleus need white worms to breed, so I cultured those, and my birds wouldn't touch them. When the waxbills are ready to try breeding again, I'm going to order some of these wingless fruit flies. (I tried culturing regular fruit flies by letting overripe fruit sit next to the cages--yuck, what a mess that turned out to be.)

Sally wrote:(I tried culturing regular fruit flies by letting overripe fruit sit next to the cages--yuck, what a mess that turned out to be.)

Doesn't sound nice. hehe. The wingless fruit fly cultures sound easy. I am going to try to get one started in my basement after buying a batch for starters.

I've used them. The trick is keeping them contained until the birds eat them if you keep the birds indoors. Somebody told me to sprinkle them on top of a cup of water and that the surface tension would keep them in the cup - NOT. I ended up zapping them in the freezer before feeding them, which certainly slowed them down but defeated the purpose of having "live" food.....

you can get a fruit fly colony going just by placing a couple of bananas in a tin with a cover,with mesh small enough for the flies to pass through but the birds cant get at the fruit

ken