Hydei Media Recipe

Sounds like the one i use, here it is:

The "Power Mix"
By Chis Miller

The following was posted by Chris Miller of Littleton Co on FrogNet on May 8, 2000.

I have been using a mixture of potato flakes, sugar, and Fleischman's activated yeast for years now. But, after adding a lot of mouths to feed to my collection, I had decided I was going to have to find something that made a lot more flies per jar. With input from a lot of different sources (Dave and Erin, Tracy Hicks, Jutti,) etc , I have composed a mush that has QUADRUPLED
my fly production. I have had very little problem with mold, and the cultures seem to last for at least a month or longer.

In a pot bring the following to a boil.
2 cups water
2 cups vinegar
1/8th cup Dark molasses
1/2 can of grape juice concentrate
2-3 overripe mushed up bananas

After bringing this mixture to a boil, add the dry material

1/2 cup malt of meal
2/3 cup potato flakes
1/3 cup Brewers Yeast (the key ingredient)

Place about 2 inches of medium in each qt size jar, and sprinkle maybe an 1/8th teaspoon of activated yeast on the top. A day later, 20-30 flies are added. I have tried this medium with my hydei and melanogaster and I can't believe how many larvae are swarming the sided of the jar, I literally can't see through the glass jar, they cover every square inch of glass. For the first 10 days, I keep the cultures in cardboard boxes which are kept closed, after that, I keep them on a large shelf to help the larvae dry out.

I don't know what I did, but I've got hydei coming out of my ears.

The first time I did it, I nearly lost my culture.

I have noticed that if you keep the medium more solid (not runny) not as many flies will drown and die in it, plus the larva have more air from packing in so tightly.

I used about 2/3 cup of medium to 1/3 cup brewers yeast, plus a ratio amount of mold inhibitor (I think its 1/2 teaspoon for this amount?)

For my medium, I tried a more starchy mix vs. fruit mix. I didn't really measure anything, but I added one banana, sugar, water, and added enough whole wheat flour until it was thickening (but added more water when I added brewers yeast).

I cooked the medium, then stirred in my brewer's yeast and mold inhibitor.

I added only like two grains of dried yeast to the top. I stuffed the bottles with shredded plastic bags from HD, the grocery store, petco, etc.

The sugar water was boiled with about about a 1/8 cup of flax seed for a few minutes. Derek Meyer was right. It really DOES boost production for both flies!

You can buy it easily from the grocery store in the baking section.