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The Fruit Fly Shop's FAQ
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Index:
How do I care for my fruit flies?
How long will the fruit fly culture last?
How do I feed the fruit flies to my pets?
Are fruit flies better than other feeders?
Do your products come with a guarantee?
How do I care for my silkworms?
How long will the silkworm food last?
My silkworms are just the right size. Can I stop feeding them?
Are silkworms better than other feeders?
My Silkworms aren't eating or moving. What's wrong?
Can I feed silkworms other types of plant leaves?
My silkworms are dying. What am I doing wrong?
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Caring for your fruit fly culture
is very easy. Basically, you don't have to do anything. The fruit fly
culture is completely self-contained and needs no cleaning or special
care.
Larvae will continually pupate from eggs laid by the adults in the
culture. It is important to keep at least 25-50 adult flies in the
culture. These adult flies will be busy laying more eggs and ensuring
that you will have a successful and constant supply of flies. It is
also important to feed the flies to your animals regularly so the flies
don't reach the natural end of their lives and pollute the substrate.
It is best to keep the fruit fly culture at room temperature
(around 70° F). The higher the temperature, the higher the bacterial
growth. But, you may want to raise or lower the temperature to control
the lifespan of your culture (see next section).
The fruit fly culture will last for
about a month (until all the food has been consumed).
However, it is possible to control the lifespan and production
rate of your fruit fly culture.
By controlling temperature, it's possible to control the rate of
reproduction. Optimum reproductive rate occurs at temperatures of
approximately 80° F. At around 60° F, reproductive rate slows, thus
allowing longer feeding time and longer use from a single culture.
Obviously, the more flies you use, the higher you will want the
reproductive rate to be.
When it's feeding time for your pets, tap the container lightly on
something hard. This will cause the fruit flies to fall to the bottom of
the container so they won't escape when you take the lid off. Then,
simply remove the lid and tap the container over your animal's home
until the desired number of fruit flies fall out. If dusting the flies
with vitamins, tap them into a plastic bag and dust.
Fruit flies aren't necessarily better
than other feeders. The great thing about fruit flies is their size.
They can be feed to all types of aquarium fish or to small spiders and
pet insects. Fruit flies are also
excellent to use as a feeder for small or newborn reptiles and amphibians.
Previously, pinhead crickets were one of the few alternatives to feed
to small and newborn pets. But, by including fruit flies in their diet,
you are increasing the variety of their diet, and that's a very good thing
in order to ensure that your pet stays healthy.
Caring for your silkworms is very easy.
Upon arrival, place the silkworms in a larger plastic container if
they are overcrowded.
Feed your worms with either mulberry leaves or pre-made silkworm food
(sold separately).
A cheese grater is the best method for distributing the food evenly,
but you can also break the food into smaller pieces. Grate
some food directly onto the worms and replace the lid to prevent the food
from drying out quickly. If condensation develops, vent the lid
Before feeding again, take the lid
off until the old food and droppings dry out. If your worms are the
desired feeding size upon arrival, you do not need to feed them.
They will stay alive for a week or more (depending on temp. and size)
without food. Repeat this feeding procedure until the worms reach the desired size. Obviously,
the more you feed them, the faster they will grow.
As the silkworms grow and become crowded, transfer them to a larger
plastic container.
The lid you are keeping the worms in needs to
have ventilation holes. If not, you need to vent the lid
so the silkworms won't suffocate and to allow condensation to dissipate.
You may need to separate them into more than one container, depending
on the number and size. Handle the worms with extreme care, as they bruise easily.
Most of the worms will be clinging to a layer of silk, old food and droppings. You do not need
to separate the worms from the material they are clinging to as long as it is dry.
For optimal growth and health, keep your worms at a temperature of 75°-88° F.
Keep the food in the refrigerator in an airtight
container, wash your hands before handling,
and the food will last for up to a month.
Yes. Once the silkworm is past the larva stage, you may stop feeding, and the worms will live
without food for a week or longer (depending on temperature and size). It's a good idea to feed them every few days to extend
this "hold" period.
Yes. Click Here
to learn 11 reasons why silkworms are an excellent critter to feed your pet.
Click Here to learn about the nutritional value of silkworms
compared to other common feeders.
This is normal, and actually means that your worms are healthy and
growing. A Silkworm's only job is to eat and grow, but because their
soft skins do not stretch as they grow, the worms must shed their skins.
They will molt 3 to 4 times during growth. If your worms aren't eating
and are sitting still (especially with their heads raised in the air),
they're getting ready to molt. Your worms will spend one
or two inactive days just before molting.
No. Silkworms can ONLY survive on mulberry leaves
(genus Morus), sometimes Osage orange (Maclura pomifera)
or
silkworm food
which is made from mulberry leaves. Your worms may eat other types of
vegetation, such as lettuce leaves, but it will kill them.
Excessive condensation forming in the container after feeding
is the leading cause of failure.
In order for your worms to stay healthy for many weeks, you'll need to keep the
silkworms as dry as possible. If condensation builds up during feeding, vent the
container lid to prevent excess humidity. In order to increase air exchange,
instead of an lid,
you can also use several layers of paper towels
secured around the container with a rubber band.
Mold develops from high temperatures and high humidity.
If the worms are covered with droppings, silk and old food for too long,
mold may develop and kill the worms. If mold does develop, grate about 1/4 inch of
food
(sold separately) all over the worms with a cheese grater. As the worms crawl to the top of the
new food pile you can transfer them off the moldy food and place them into a new container.
Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before handling the worms
or their food. Silkworms are sensitive to bacteria if you don't properly handle them.
The droppings and uneaten food become a suitable germ-free mat for the worms to hold onto, as long
as the container environment remains dry.
Silkworms are susceptible to bruising and dying if now handled with care, especially as
they grow larger. When handling and transferring the worms, be very gentle.
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