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How to Feed Flies to Produce Maggots

The female fly can lay up to 500 eggs over three to four days. The eggs hatch into larva, called maggots, which are used to feed reptiles and as fishing bait. If you want flies to lay eggs to provide you with maggots, you will need to supply the right foods to attract the flies, encourage breeding and provide a suitable place for the females to lay their eggs. This can all be done in one, correctly supplied compost pile.

Things You'll Need

Decomposing animal and vegetable matter
Sugar or a soft drink
Horse manure
Rotting meat
Water spray bottle or hose with spray attachment

Instructions

- 1
  Make a pile outdoors of rotting vegetable matter. Pour sugar or a soft drink onto the pile and add horse manure or rotting meat to draw in and feed the flies.
- 2
  Spray the pile with water once a day with a spray bottle or a hose, just enough to keep it damp, not wet. Add more rotting vegetable matter and horse manure to the pile if you do not observe flies congregating.
- 3
  Add decaying animal matter, such as rotting chicken, to the pile to feed the female flies after breeding. Wait approximately four days. Observe female flies laying masses of small, white eggs on the pile. The eggs will hatch as quickly as 12 hours after they are laid, and the maggots will burrow into the pile. If you do not observe maggots after two days, add more sugar and animal protein on the pile. Wait four to six days and check again for maggots.

Insects & Science