Fruit fly maggots dieing

[Jason22]

So my attempt to breed fruit flies was going well. i used a recipe off here and bought some flies. add some flies to 2 separate containers.
i used coconut fiber for them to climb one as couldn't fine the other stuff in New Zealand.

they were going great maggots ever where, no mold or bad smell. but the maggots didn't turn in to lupa they just stayed big and died on the container. there where probably only 50 fruit flies hatch out of one cup from 1000s of maggots

Could some one please offer me some advice have about 70 newly formed frogs and my locusts are struggling to keep up lol

[Fae]

What kind of containers were you using? I used mason jars with paper towels under the lids for ventilation.

[J Teezy]

cocofiber in the containers? like stringy stuff or cocofiber substrate? If you put actual substrate in there then thats most likely your problem. You would be smoothering the media like that. the maggots live down in the media mainly right on the top of it. Then you need something like excelsior or coffee filters for them to walk around on when they become flies, and also vented tops for airflow. Keep them around 75 - 78 degress Fahrenheit with decent humidity. Media needs to stay moist.

[Jason22]

Thanks for the replies

-I am using plastic containers with screen fabric lids

-Sorry should have added more detail. not the coco fibre substrate the string looking stuff

-my media stayed moist the whole time

-temp was not to far off maybe warmer

have added pic. this pic is of them afew days after they all died

[J Teezy]

from the looks of your media you need more, and you need more surface area

Here's a pic of one of mine started on 3-30. All those specs towards the top are flies, HUNDREDS of them and still plenty of media left for them to feed on

[Jason22]

Ok thanks how high did the media start off with, i have some similar size and shape that i will try, just to see if thats the problem

Thanks again

[J Teezy]

almost to my thumb probably. I use a 1/2 cup media to 2/3 cup water recipe

[Jason22]

ok so about 2 inches??. i used the firsts recipe on the care sheet on this forum. as the is nothing pre mixed in new zealand

[J Teezy]

you'll just have to adjust your recipe, you should have enough to last 4 weeks. And you definitely need more surface area. I put enough excelsior to fill the cup, usually its about a baseball size handful and what kind of mite prevention are you using?

[Jason22]

will add more surface area. have not done anything about mites had a good look though it for them and could not see any

[J Teezy]

you'll always have mites no matter what, you have to keep them down is the thing. set your cups on mite paper

[Jason22]

ok will look in to it but i don't thing i could get mite paper in NZ. we have a very limited supply