Aussie Finch Forum

I noticed the amount of little flies in the compost bin yesterday when throwing some stuff away. The wheels must have been turning in the back of my mind overnight! This morning with net in hand I opened the compost bin lid and started fly catching (something else for the neighbours to worry about)

So now I know I can catch quite a few, and hopefully on a regular basis.
Anyone see a problem with me putting them in the aviaries? (other than them flying away )

There was a little bit of chit chat about them in the last few posts of this link

viewtopic.php?f=48&t=3439&hilit=vinegar

Don't see why not.
I can remember reading somebody has a small fruit bin in the aviary covered with mesh
and the birds scare up their own food. I'll see if I can find it.

It was probably me that posted about them. I have tried a couple of methods and couldnt get them to work for me. Everything was either:
too wet = smelly
or dried out completely
or covered in ants.
This compost bin raiding was my latest idea! System already in place, just got to catch them.

I find hanging an empty fruit juice bottle with rotting fruit in it from the roof of the cage, puncture 6-10 holes in the top third with the icepick (see the pic I sent u Diane) works fine. If it shows signs of drying out just add a little fruit juice. Only downside is a little smelly.
LML

finchbreeder wrote:I find hanging an empty fruit juice bottle with rotting fruit in it from the roof of the cage, puncture 6-10 holes in the top third with the icepick (see the pic I sent u Diane)

I saw the fruit bottle fly trap in your pic and I thought that must what you had posted about before, neat idea.

Thats what i use aswell dianne mines working a treat now its cable tied to a perch

what species of finch go for the flies?

Ive seen the Orange breasts chasing a moth hotly pursued by parrotfinches, so Im thinking it would be them after the flies, probably firefinches too, dont know about emblemas. Gouldians wouldnt be interested. Canaries might, Ive seen mine raiding the mini meal worm dish.

try this di. put a quarter of a tomato in a jar , then place it without a lid on your compost heap. when you see maggots crawling in the tomato seal the jar with some chux or cheese cloth and a lacky band. in a while if kept warm they should turn into acid flies and then u can let them loose in the aviary, to give you a bit of time to release them, dumb them down in the fridge for a few minutes.. ...pete

If you decide to breed Wrens then a Vinegar Fly system is a very good idea,infact alot of Softbills and Finches will eat the flies.
In my big aviary I have a rubbish bin with a 12.5x12.5mm mesh top all veg scraps and inparticular citrus skins are dumped in and the flies take over.
I have drills several small drainage holes in the bottom so the veg.matter doesn't get too wet.
Wrens and Chats will spend hours sitting on it and grabbing any fly that come out.