What the <bleep> are these things?

[Patricia1234]

I have little black "things" in my FF media and they are FAST.

Strange black bugs in fruit fly media - YouTube

[JeremyHuff]

Really couldnt tell from the video but if the media is dry, likely flour beetles if wet there is a thin fast black fly that can infest. They aren't quick to fly so don't always look like a fly. I think it is a scuttle fly or something like it.

[Ed]

The movement is very similar to a phorid fly (which is another name for flies known as scuttle flies).

Ed

[Patricia1234]

Jack up the resolution an screen size to full u can see them real good.

I started this with a Joshsfrogs kit so once the medium cooled I dumped in like 20-30 FFs so no foreign flies could've gotten in?

[Ed]

Originally Posted by Patricia1234

Jack up the resolution an screen size to full u can see them real good.

I started this with a Joshsfrogs kit so once the medium cooled I dumped in like 20-30 FFs so no foreign flies could've gotten in?

They can sneak in as soon as the temperature is low enough (which could be before you go to add your flies) or lay eggs through a tiny tear in the lid or even through a lid that isn't clicked down all the way around the top. They are pretty invasive into cultures and while people report thier frogs feeding on them, that has never been my experience. Instead I have found that they infect scrapes, egg masses, reptile eggs, or any other protien (or decaying organics) sources (including trying to run through your meal while your eating it... So I tend to freeze and discard any infected cultures. I also set glue boards ontop of the cultrues if I start seeing them in the house since they tend to run around looking for a way into the culture.

Ed