The outside temp and humidity can effect the breeding cycle and success rate of the flies. Do you have enough mature fly's in the box. How large is the fly box and what size globes are using at the moment. Moisture content of mixture including the milk powder to media ratio can be attributed to low results.
I shut down my fly box each year in may and start up again in august most years. I dont recommend this but I have friend close by that can resupply me fresh pupae / flies when I start up again. This is due to the fact that I dont encourage my birds to breed in winter, a personal choice that suits me, and I need a break from the day to day running of the aviary, Yes I am a bit lazy too.
ANYWAY back to the fly box. I have similar problems each year when I restart in the cold months. I mix the milk powder to bran ratio at about 1:4 with water. I found that by mixing 2 small containers of mix 1 normal and 1 slightly drier and placing the containers in the over stocked, should hear them buzzing - 1000's of fly's, fly box. Wait a day or so after the fly's have hatched and are mature ready to breed before putting containers in box. I leave the contains in for a couple of days and stir the mixture once. Then I upturn the old mixture onto a small amount of new slightly dry mix and place the containers back in the box. This way I can determine which mixture suits my fly's. If too wet will go mouldy or too dry goes hard, I throw it out and start again. These 2 good successful batches then become the next generation of fly's. I also put a new container of the preferred mixture in the box and then feed out from this container. The first batch of maggots to fly back to maggot production cylce is about 10 - 12 days in winter and speeds up in summer. Other breeders will do it differently depending on their needs and environmental conditions. I found this system works for me.
FLy box set ups??
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Pete Sara
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- Posts: 2221
- Joined: 09 Nov 2008, 19:44
- Location: Byford WA
- Location: eastern suburbs of perth w.a
allIi do is when I mix up a batch of food, I use pollard and not bran as I seem to get a better result and less of a reaction to it(sneezing).
I place in two marg containers full of mix , one will stay for the repopulation, the other gets placed on top of box where its still warm, mixed with some fresh mix to let the maggots get bigger and clean out ready to be fed to the birds,I tend to use more pupae than maggots at the moment...pete
I place in two marg containers full of mix , one will stay for the repopulation, the other gets placed on top of box where its still warm, mixed with some fresh mix to let the maggots get bigger and clean out ready to be fed to the birds,I tend to use more pupae than maggots at the moment...pete
