Aussie Finch Forum

How old is the bran you are using,old bran harbours mould spores that springs to life in the right conditions,check the date of manufacture on the bag.If you buy it loose in plastic bags you can guarantee it will be starting to go mouldy even before you use it,it needs to be able to breathe.
You may think that you are putting in the required amount of water in your medium at the start but you must remember that the top drys off and the moisture continues to sink to the bottom of the container and it becomes very wet and sloppy,this may be the reason the mould is from the center down.
Another reason could be temperature,which should be at around 30degs constant day and night no matter what the temp is out side so long as they get moisture to drink and they can hide between your containers the flies will survive.
Another way you can evaporate the moisture quickly and make easy access for the flies to lay their eggs is to poke 10mm holes in your medium so long as the medium is around 70mm deep and the more holes in the medium the better.Hope that helps. Craig

Craig52 wrote:How old is the bran you are using,old bran harbours mould spores that springs to life in the right conditions,check the date of manufacture on the bag.If you buy it loose in plastic bags you can guarantee it will be starting to go mouldy even before you use it,it needs to be able to breathe.
You may think that you are putting in the required amount of water in your medium at the start but you must remember that the top drys off and the moisture continues to sink to the bottom of the container and it becomes very wet and sloppy,this may be the reason the mould is from the center down.
Another reason could be temperature,which should be at around 30degs constant day and night no matter what the temp is out side so long as they get moisture to drink and they can hide between your containers the flies will survive.
Another way you can evaporate the moisture quickly and make easy access for the flies to lay their eggs is to poke 10mm holes in your medium so long as the medium is around 70mm deep and the more holes in the medium the better.Hope that helps. Craig

Thanks Craig will try the 10mm holes. I buy lose bran in bags from Woolies so are you saying once I get it home I should open the bags to let it breathe or move it to a different container?

Thanks Craig will try the 10mm holes. I buy lose bran in bags from Woolies so are you saying once I get it home I should open the bags to let it breathe or move it to a different container

It has nothing to do with just poking a few 10ml holes!

Its the Woolies bran! I started with Woolies bran... the worst thing I ever did... buy your bran from a stock-feed or equivalent...Supermarket bran is just not the same! That in my opinion is your problem!

BOF33 wrote:

Thanks Craig will try the 10mm holes. I buy lose bran in bags from Woolies so are you saying once I get it home I should open the bags to let it breathe or move it to a different container

It has nothing to do with just poking a few 10ml holes!

Its the Woolies bran! I started with Woolies bran... the worst thing I ever did... buy your bran from a stock-feed or equivalent...Supermarket bran is just not the same! That in my opinion is your problem!

Reckon I'll give that a go as well, will do container of each and see what happens thanks BOF

Lee 62 wrote:

BOF33 wrote:

Thanks Craig will try the 10mm holes. I buy lose bran in bags from Woolies so are you saying once I get it home I should open the bags to let it breathe or move it to a different container

It has nothing to do with just poking a few 10ml holes!

Its the Woolies bran! I started with Woolies bran... the worst thing I ever did... buy your bran from a stock-feed or equivalent...Supermarket bran is just not the same! That in my opinion is your problem!

Reckon I'll give that a go as well, will do container of each and see what happens thanks BOF

Sorry Lee i just logged on,i don't know what BOF33 is on about regarding the holes in the medium but you will get more maggots in there by poking holes in the bran regardless of it drying out quicker.
He is right about the super market bran though as it's processed for human consumption and useless for growing maggots as is the supermarket milk powder. Good luck Craig

Craig52 wrote:

Lee 62 wrote:

BOF33 wrote:

Thanks Craig will try the 10mm holes. I buy lose bran in bags from Woolies so are you saying once I get it home I should open the bags to let it breathe or move it to a different container

It has nothing to do with just poking a few 10ml holes!

Its the Woolies bran! I started with Woolies bran... the worst thing I ever did... buy your bran from a stock-feed or equivalent...Supermarket bran is just not the same! That in my opinion is your problem!

Reckon I'll give that a go as well, will do container of each and see what happens thanks BOF

Sorry Lee i just logged on,i don't know what BOF33 is on about regarding the holes in the medium but you will get more maggots in there by poking holes in the bran regardless of it drying out quicker.
He is right about the super market bran though as it's processed for human consumption and useless for growing maggots as is the supermarket milk powder. Good luck Craig

Craig52, don't think I'm not paying attention. I'm getting a fly box. OMG, I'm waiting till then to have you advise me.

I know you would get more humidity in Qld than people further south but I am not convinced that is your main reason.
I would like to know what temperature you are running your fly box.
While my heating system is very very basic it seems to work.It is just two light globe holders(batten holders)in summer time 2 x 20 watt globes
winter time 2 x 40 watt incandescent globes. If it is not warm enough the flies congregate around the globe, if it's too warm the flies are all away from the globe against the fly wire front. Having a fly wire front may not be the most economical way of heating but there is air movement. In colder time a towel curtain hangs in front which assists in keeping the temp. up.
My mix is simple, water, milk powder and bran. Not a lot of milk powder is used, maybe a heaped desert spoon to a large plastic ice cream tub. I find this more than enough. I am lucky enough to have a son who supplies me a 20kg bag of milk powder when required so I don't need to be mean and that measure seems fine. Water, add just enough to the dry mix to make it damp, when you grab a hand full you need to squeeze it hard before the liquid seeps through you fingers. The medium is placed in the large oval margarine containers, and are removed every two days. Apart from the bowl of sugar water is supplied in a wide open top jar fill with coconut fibre and water. The coconut fibre doesn't rot easily and the flies use it as their ladder to access the moisture.
Once you get the hang of it is very simple and the colony will continue on and on. My fly colony has been going non stop for 15 years.
As mentioned earlier you must have a large number of breeding flies.
Remember if you need to feed them once out of the breeder box you should put the new medium(same as breeder medium) ON TOP of the eggs and maggots so they will come up to it. If left on the bottom it will go off as they won't access all of it while it is fresh.
Good Luck!!

Sorry Lee i just logged on,i don't know what BOF33 is on about regarding the holes in the medium but you will get more maggots in there by poking holes in the bran regardless of it drying out quicker.

G'day Craig,

I wasn't knocking your idea of the 10ml holes mate, I use the holes myself. I just think that even with the 10 ml holes the fly mix would still become mouldy by the time the maggots hatch out in to the mix.

It seems like if it is such a reoccurring problem it would seem to be the humidity.

Lee give the 10 ml holes a go with the new bran and let us know how it goes for you.

Thanks guys all the advice is being put to good use. It is not the temp as the flies are generally on the fly mesh or medium and I turn light on when the temp requires it. Recently been staying in mid to high 30's here but humidity really kicked in and that is when the trouble started. From reading your advice I think it may be a mix of the wrong bran, slightly to wet and maybe even a tad to much milk. Just got the bran from my produce store and now have 4 tubs in with varying amounts of water and reduced amount of milk also. Will keep you updated of the results.