[melbel]

So, I started a culture on the 12th of this month, I see a lot of larva and a lot of pupae on the sides of the container, however, I do not see a lot of flies in the culture. Does this mean that the culture is no good? Are they hatching and I just don't see them or what? I noticed larva about a week and a half ago and pupae maybe a week ago. The numbers of pupae are increasing, but I haven't noticed any increase in flies really.

 

[melbel]

They are melos and I do see the little white dots you are talking about. They are kept at room temp (66-68 degrees F).

 

[melbel]

You'll want to find a way to get the temps up to about 80 for the flies to increase production. At those temps it will be at a crawl.

Also, the moving white dots are mites infesting your culture. If you got it shipped to you this way, get a refund/new one. If not, get a new one anyway---making new cultures from mite-infested ones doesn't pan out.

I always keep my cultures away from the frog tanks b/c of the mite issue, and I always feed from the newer cultures first and keep them away from the ones more than 7-10 days old. Keep surfaces clean and wiped down often, free of culture media/other things the mites could feed on.

Thanks for the info. What is the best way to combat mites?