Q&A for How to Keep a Pet Fly

If its flying and moving that indicates that it's strong and happy.

Treat the fly with lots of sugar and maybe raisins for iron. Keep the habitat not as populated with plants and add more small twigs so they can get stronger by climbing.

It'll get stuck and die, because they land right on top of their food.

Give it room in a jar; it will get the idea. If it is healthy, it will fly around.

No, a friend is optional. But flies also do well with a friend.

Your larvae may be frightened by being transferred to the jar, so wait a few minutes. If the larvae stay in the dirt, dig them out carefully and put them where they belong. Then find another larva.

No. Most likely, the fly will find a way to escape the window, given that most windows have unseen holes.

They eat practically anything, like kitchen scraps and rotting food.

Look outside. Check near garbage bins, that's where I found my fly.

Small pet carriers also work. If you can't find a jar for your pet fly, use a clean glass container such as an old glass cup.

Yes. Flies love bologna and any other sort of leftovers you might have.

You can use a Ziploc bag and let it fly into the bag. When the fly's in the bag zip it up fast so it doesn't get out. When you are trying to put it back, unzip the bag a little where it will fit around whatever you are using, and make sure to push the bag down so the fly will just fall in the jar or whatever you are using to keep your fly in.

It really depends on the species. In a housefly, the female is bigger than the male, and the male has a shorter distance between his eyes. Change the fly's food when it starts to rot, turn brown or really mushy looking. For your third question, take a plastic bag, and carefully and slowly take off the lid to your fly's biome, then slide the bag over and scare the fly into the bag. Zip it up, be careful not to crush him, and then you can clean out the rotted food.

Cry for a little bit, and make a coffin for your little friend. A small box with paper towels in it would be good. Find a place to bury your fly. I buried my fly in my garden, and put flowers around it. If you want, make a speech about your fly before you bury it.

No, just like most animals or insects, chocolate is deadly to flies. Try feeding the larva mushed rotten bananas or apples with maybe honey or drops of water with sugar in it.

There can be a kind of bond, yes, but it depends what you mean. Flies are not as protective as dogs towards their owners, don't really "play," and will hardly enjoy your petting.

No. There are no laws condemning the killing of flies or any insects. People do it all the time.

Sugar is fine, but I would recommend fruit instead because they also get their needed water from the fruit.

No, you cannot walk them.

Yes, I have done this. Just don't use a small bottle. A 2 liter bottle will work great.

They are tired, so give them some alone time and wait for them to move again.

Yes, flies can drown, and it doesn't take very long once they're in the water.

Procyon lotor is the general scientific name. However, it mostly depends on the species.

It is just normal fly behavior. They do it to clean themselves.

Yes; otherwise, the fly will suffer a slow death of suffocation.

Yes, they need oxygen to survive, so you will have to put air holes in the container.

No. The leash would crush the fly. Even a small "fly sized" leash would injure it.

Catch him in a jar, with the lid facing down and slip paper underneath when the fly is at the bottom of the jar and not where the opening is.

You could use a cloth napkin, a handkerchief, or any other relatively thin piece of fabric that you can find.

It will live as long as it can, but try giving it extra nutrition by feeding it raisins. This way, it will get some more iron to help it recover. Try to be more gentle with a fly that can't fly, because you could easily damage it. But do give it all the nutrition and TLC you would a regular fly.