2 replies to this topic

[ambx327]

Is it a good idea to feed a housefly I caught around my house (after freezing)?

 

I remember reading somewhere that it's not good to feed wild caught insects due to contaminants. 

 

But I also read many people feeding their colonies houseflies. 

 

What's the general verdict here?

 

 

[ANTdrew]

If you’re sure nobody is spraying pesticides, and the fly seems healthy and vigorous, it’s fine. My ants go nuts for the loathsome things.

[futurebird]

I recently bought some housefly pupae as feeder and my ants love them. They are like horrible cadbury eggs with cream filling for them. Gotta crack it open for them. 

 

I don't like flies, but thought "let me do a timelapse of the fly eclosing and maybe I'll understand it better" that's how I learned that flies can inflate their faces and are basically horrible little disease balloons. I freeze any flies I catch in the house with a vacuum and crush feeders with tweezers. 

 

But long story short flies are popular ant food. Wild caught flies can have horrible parasites so freeze em good. 

 

Seeing the fly up close and the "miracle" of metamorphosis in a fly didn't make me like them more. Ants are cute when they eclose. Flies are gross. Anyway here is the video I made about that:

 

cw: fly up close being a fly