Aussie Finch Forum

Whats the best fruit or vegetables to atrract them in the container? So far i put bananna a mandarin in and some apple. I have no flies . Its been 5 days aswell does it take awhile?

Also i drilled holes through the top of the container lid but there only about half a centimetre wide are they ok? are the holes to small?

Thanks guys as i realy want it working for my cordons and redbrows had the cordons retreat nest and also toss a baby this morning .

Ben

I use whatever is in season, and a little fruit juice occassionally in summer to keep the mix moist. My holes are just what the ice pick makes, small and round and I have flyies. But I also have a lemon tree planted not far away. Grapes and stonefruit and banana seem best. Best if the fruit has turned or is just turning soft. Good luck.
LML

It probably depends on the strain of wild fruit fly tiy are trying to attact. The ones you want for your finches are Drosopila spp (= Ferment flies = vinegar flies) you don't want the large ones that attack you stone fruit and tomatoes (eg. Bactrocera Tryoni). I find here in the tropics that the best fruit for attacting Drosopila ) spp to my aviaries is over-ripe pineapple. Dry fruit like apples won't work until they are really rotten and then they represent a health hazard to the birds so make sure the birds don't have direct access to any really rotten fruit. In temperate regious I'd use stone fruit (if you have access to a cheap source) but pineapple will last longer. I used to work for NSW Agriculture/ DPI /DII , in the labs used for raising Drosopila ) spp an artifical medium or bananna is used and for Qld Fruit Fly they use oranges.

I don't think about types, because of where I live. We are a nasty free zone. Only have the Drosopila. My fruit is enclosed in a empty fruit juice bottle hanging from the roof of the avairy with just the ice pick holes in it, so no access for the finches.
LML