How to Culture Drosophila melanogaster Fruit Flies

Although culturing fruit flies is easy, it is fundamentally important to continue to make cultures on a regular basis so you have enough fruit flies for your frogs. Admittedly, I’ve skipped a week here and there making them, and I always regret it. I have a relatively small collection, so I make about 7-10 cultures a week. This tutorial focuses on Drosophila melanogaster, but it works for most available species on the market, including D. hydei. It is always best to have new and producing cultures so you never run out of them. With typical home temps (68-75°F), it takes about two weeks for cultures to start producing flies.

Supplies:

  • 32-ounce deli cup with fabric/waffle lid

  • Fruit fly media - make your own or use commercially available

  • Water

  • Measuring cup and spoon

  • Excelsior

  • Permanent marker - used to date the cups when cultures are made

I’ve tried most of the commercially available fruit fly media on the market, and I’ve found that I get the best production with Repashy Superfly, so the steps in this tutorial will be for that media. I encourage you to try different media or even ma

I’ve tried most of the commercially available fruit fly media on the market, and I’ve found that I get the best production with Repashy Superfly, so the steps in this tutorial will be for that media. I encourage you to try different media or even make your own to see which one you like the best for your needs.

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Boil 2/3 cup of water

Boil 2/3 cup of water

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Turn off the heat and add three tablespoons of fruit fly media to the water and stir vigorously until the media mixes with the water.  The mixture should be the viscosity of thick pancake batter or something similar. Pour the mixture into the 32-oz.

Turn off the heat and add three tablespoons of fruit fly media to the water and stir vigorously until the media mixes with the water.  The mixture should be the viscosity of thick pancake batter or something similar. Pour the mixture into the 32-oz. cup.

Add about a baseball-sized amount of excelsior to the cup and put the lid on it

Add about a baseball-sized amount of excelsior to the cup and put the lid on it

Let the media cool to room temperature, then add 30-50+ wingless or flightless fruit flies from an existing culture. I prefer wingless over flightless as flightless can get the ability to fly again over time. I highly recommend getting wingless D.

Let the media cool to room temperature, then add 30-50+ wingless or flightless fruit flies from an existing culture. I prefer wingless over flightless as flightless can get the ability to fly again over time. I highly recommend getting wingless D. melanogaster cultures from Alex at FrogDaddy. I've made hundreds of cultures from the initial four I got from him.

Put the lid back on, and write the date on the cup with a permanent marker. In about two weeks at room temperature, the culture should be producing flies. The cultures usually last about a month.  I typically throw out old cultures at this point to

Put the lid back on, and write the date on the cup with a permanent marker. In about two weeks at room temperature, the culture should be producing flies. The cultures usually last about a month.  I typically throw out old cultures at this point to prevent mites from infesting them.  Some people like to put old cultures in frog enclosures since they will continue to produce maggots and stunted flies for several more days to weeks.