Housefly Feeder for Juvenile Chameleons

I call this a fly "creep feeder". Livestock creep feeders are small enclosures that allow juveniles access to feed, but are too narrow for adult animals. In this case, the opening is narrow enough for the prey items, houseflies, to access their gutload and exit, but the juvenile chameleons cannot fall in or defecate inside the fly container.

You can use this three ways:

1. Use the container to hatch and gutload the flies, shake them into a bag with supplement dust, then turn the dusted flies loose in the chameleon cage.

2. Hang the prepared feeder inside the cage and allow to hatch and exit at will.

3. Hatch out the pupae inside the container, then loosen and fold over the nylon exit hole, dust the folded fabric with supplements, and hang inside the cage after the flies have been gutloaded. Hang it in the midst of a crowd of babies, and they will shoot self-dusted flies as they creep out of the container, before they can fly away.

Materials Needed:

Live Housefly Musca domestica pupae, 100 grams should feed a clutch for 1-2 weeks
http://www.shopspiderpharm.com/servlet/Detail?no=26
8oz plastic cups
medium rubber bands
washed nylons, knee-highs or "pantyhose" any color
scissors
washed net bag from grocery store fruit

Housefly Gutload
Your dry mix + organic molasses, mixed to a doughy texture
1 cut up orange

Prepare gutload and smear inside the cup lip to the edge, about 1" wide.

Place a dampened piece of paper towel, like a hammock, inside the cup. Pour about 1-2 tablespoons of live pupae into hammock.

Cut a 2-3" piece of netting and place in center. This gives hatched flies many perches, reduces stress, and thus they keep eating and living. They just don't last as long without perches.

Pull a small piece of nylon over cup top, secure with a rubber band.

Check cups twice a day. Drip a little water on the nylon if paper towel has dried out. This prevents the pupae from dehydrating. Flies will hatch in 3-5 days at 85F. When pupae start hatching, carefully drop a wet slice of orange into the cup. This provides water and vitamins to the flies. They will die without a water source. To bring up more juice every few hours, with index finger on the nylon, squeeze the wedge against the cup wall. After the flies have been hatched 12-24 hours, their pale abdomens will show the dark brown of their molasses gutload. These are lapping flies, so you won't see bites missing out of the smeared gutload.Check the abdomen or fly feces "specks" color to be sure they are gutloaded. For best results, read the fly breeders' guarantees and suggested refrigeration for pupae storage.