Flies as pets
Do you want a pet, but don’t have the time or energy to devote to it? Do you lack the money for a pet? Maybe you’re even allergic to your typical pet breeds? If you answered yes to any of these questions, consider getting a pet fly! It may sound ridiculous at first, but it doesn’t hurt to give these cute little guys a chance. You never know–maybe a fly will end up being your soulmate.
Flies can be found everywhere, such as your local park, hanging out with the squirrels in the trees, feasting on a rotting corpse of an animal, and even chilling in your home. This is very convenient when you’re trying to find your new fly buddy! Flies are exceptionally easy to take care of, and because of their size, they do not need much food to sustain themselves. This makes them so economical!
Detailed steps on how to acquire and take care of your fly are provided below.
Capturing your new Fly Buddy
To catch your new friend, you are going to need a cup or container in one hand, and a sheet of paper wide enough to cover the opening of the container with the other hand. Locate a fly on a flat surface and cover your fly with the container. The fly should be trapped in the container, unable to fly away. Next, slowly slide your paper underneath so that when you move the container away, all openings should be sealed off.
This process is similar to catching a spider without harming it. You may also choose to catch the fly in your hands. However, this is going to be a much more difficult process and you may injure the little guy in the process. Set your container with the paper on top, and the fly still in it, on a counter top for later. Next, choose a lid that you are comfortable making small holes in and that fits on your container.
Preparing your Habitat
Grab some clean dirt and lay it in your jar. The dirt could cover about 1/6 of you container area, when compacted down. This is optional, however it suits the fly better as it relates more to a fly’s natural habitat. Next, grab some twigs, leaves, rocks or anything else that a fly could use as a resting and/or hiding spot. Don’t forget to make room for food and water, though.
Flies eat a variety of things, but they prefer sugary things. As for containing said food, you can use a small bottle cap or a shell. Keep in mind that flies are small creatures, so don’t fill the water up high where they’ll drown. Flies don’t eat much, but you should have food in the container at all times. If it starts to rot, it doesn’t matter. In fact, they’ll probably love it! You can tell they are healthy and strong if they are moving and flying regularly. Click here to view more about a fly’s diet.
Your lid should have holes in them, but don’t make them too big. Your fly could escape through large enough holes, or worse still, a rival intruder could enter (like a spider) and suck the life out of your little buddy. Make the holes large enough that a syringe or a small straw can fit through, so you can transfer food and water to your new fly.
Just as a precaution, lightly lay a sheet of paper over the lid when you are not feeding the fly. Just make sure air could still circulate throughout the enclosure. A fly likes it warm, so keep its temperature at around 25-40C.
Cautionary Thoughts About Flies
If you have more than one fly in an area, you may want to look out for eggs. They should look like teeny tiny grains of rice. It is recommended you re-locate them to outside, unless of course you want an army of flies.
After handling the container, you should wash your hands. Flies often carry diseases on them, so its best if you don’t get them.
A housefly only lives up to about 28 days, which is relatively short. So, if you don’t want to be the one to see them go, they will be fine if you release them back into the wild. Or, you can let them stay and you can say your final goodbyes.
Other Facts and Ideas
Fly species
- anthomyiid flies (family Anthomyiidae)
- balloon flies (family Acroceridae)
- bat flies (families Nycteribiidae and Streblidae)
- black flies (family Simuliidae)
- blow flies (family Calliphoridae)
- bot flies (family Oestridae)
- crane flies (family Tipulidae)
- dung flies (family Scatophagidae)
https://www.britannica.com › … › Insects
Diptera ~ Scientific name for fly
Cool Pet Fly Names
Sir Fly
Mr. Fly
Flynn
Fly Guy
Alfred
George
Bongo
Terry
Tony
Oreo
Stinker
Teeny
Fly Quotes
A fly, sir, may sting a stately horse and make him wince; but one is but an insect, and the other is a horse still.
Samuel Johnson
If you want to learn about the Opae Ula (Hawaiian Red Shrimp) and how to set up their ecosystem, click here!
