Flightless Fruit Flies. yay or nay?

[jamespmurdoch]

Hey guys. I have a tray of various seedlings (sarracenia, dionaea, some various dews and utrics growing up in the greenhouse at my alma mater where i volunteer. We are raising baby mantis, and have a flightless fruit fly culture around for them. One of the teachers thought it would be cool and fun to dump a whole load of them on my plant trays. My first thought was whatever, a waste but at least my plants will get fed really good! But it has been 3 weeks and when i inspect the plants i’m still seeing lots of little flies running around. Are they eating anything important possibly? basically wondering if i should worry. thanks!

 

[Lloyd Gordon]

Fruit flies should only eat the vinegar from decaying palnt material. Shouldn't hurt live plants.

 

[telkwasnowgirl]

I have a N. Bloody Mary in one of my dart frog vivariums that enjoys calcium dusted flightless fruit flies 3 times a week and it's okay, grows like a weed between the high humidity and the flies.

 

[Carson Hardy]

Flies are great! I bres them for frogs, and use them to feed my young carnivores as well.

 

[CannibalHoliday]

I used to just put a piece of banana or some fruit fly feed in my dart frog vivarium and let the fruit flies hatch out naturally. (also let the dart frogs treat themselves to fruit fly maggots, not just the adults).
It should keep them close to home instead of wandering all over the house too. Then you have an endless supply of plant food