could it be bugs eating my flies

[sage5]

Hi all,first of all hope this is in the right place. I wa looking in a flybox today and noticed the head hackles on 5 0r 6 flies appeared to have been eaten away,but the rest of the flie seems ok. i had a close look at the rest of the flies in the box and they appear fine.i also looked through a magnifying glass and could not see any sign of bugs what do you think is the cause

many thanks Duncan

[TAFFTASTIC]

chuck them in the freezer just in case


TT

[seanie]

Good advice there, freeze them. Don't take any chances

[sage5]

Thanks for that,i have put them in the freezer,i have checked all my other boxes and they seem ok
regards Duncan

[arkle]

Freezing doesn't always work, micro-waving in an almost sealed zip-top bag for 5/10 secs DOES.

[Vermontdrifter]

I really don't think it would be a good idea to put metal hooks in a microwave. The hooks will be fine but you might have to buy a new microwave.

Terry

[FLIMAN]

I'm afraid the bin is the only option for these. All the freezer will do is kill the larvae or actual moth, it is the eggs you need to worry about and all the freezer will do is put them into a dormant state. As soon as you take the flies out of the freezer and they warm up you risk the eggs hatching off and the wee beasties snacking on your flies again.
You will have noticed that only certain materials on the flies will be eaten, the moth seem to only really like natural un-dyed material.
The Microwave would kill whatever is in the flies , but you can't now do this as the materials are already dressed on hooks.
Chuck them to be safe. If you dressed the flies yourself it would be worth checking the materials you dressed them with to see if there is any sign of Moth too.

[monst]

Hi all, first post here but wish I'd found this forum sooner. Ive found a few moth grubs in my tying materials case recently and wondered if anyone knows of a way of stopping the little critters in the first place? Any treatments or maybe the old fashioned moth balls? I suppose they would make an attractive bait on those really frustrating days!?!?

[roll cast]

Napthalene should kill them although there have been people on here saying that its extremely bad for your health. But all your tying materials should be kept in spearate sip loc bags as this means that if you are unlucky to get some bugs they should be contained. Also the bags make everything nice and neeat, keeps mum happy who hates my fly tying stuff.

Thanks
AL

[agent]

Originally Posted by arkle

Freezing doesn't always work, micro-waving in an almost sealed zip-top bag for 5/10 secs DOES.

Don't under any circumstances put them in the microwave!!!

It is a method I use regularly for feathers or shins that I've been given and does work well but wouldn't use it for flies

Once I used for a cape that was stapled onto a card backing with just 1 staple
Its amazing the mess a burning cape can make of a microwave!