# Lid for FF Containers



## ykh (Oct 27, 2011)

I'm thinking of making lids for my deli FF containers by cutting a hole covered with the plastic mesh screen for windows. Will this work? I've bought a few of those pre made filter paper lids but I want to make use of my current lids.

Thanks.


----------



## ChrisK (Oct 28, 2008)

No window screen won't work, the culture will dry out - even if it didn't the maggots would crawl straight out


----------



## ykh (Oct 27, 2011)

Chris,

Thanks for quick feedback, I thought the maggots would crawl out too. I guess I will have no choice but to buy some more pre made lids.




ChrisK said:


> No window screen won't work, the culture will dry out - even if it didn't the maggots would crawl straight out


----------



## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Standard window screen is not a barrier tothe adults of many of the types of melanogaster either into or out of the culture so at best your risking all fliers. 

The nice thing about the fabric lids is that they do help optimize conditons inside the cultures and help keep unwanted things out (phorid flies, fungus gnats, wild type fruit flies as some examples) and the things you want in... 
You can try and make your own lids but given the cost of a mesh lid, and that they can be reused multiple times when cleaned and disinfected with bleach, it is hard to make a better product much less a more cost effective lid... 

Ed


----------



## bobrez (Sep 10, 2011)

Could use mason jars an coffee filters, is what i use and works great


----------



## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

bobrez said:


> Could use mason jars an coffee filters, is what i use and works great


And easy to clean


----------



## eyeviper (May 23, 2006)

I have cut holes in the lids and used a little bit of silicone around the edge and a thin paper towel cut to size secured to the silicone. works great. but like ED said the lids are super easy and reusable. to each their own.


----------



## ykh (Oct 27, 2011)

thanks everyone for your feedback, appreciate it.


----------



## Blue_Pumilio (Feb 22, 2009)

Don't use mesh, it can let the non-flightless flies breed with your flies and you won't be happy. I use a glue gun and a paper towel to make my own lids. It works lovely.



ykh said:


> I'm thinking of making lids for my deli FF containers by cutting a hole covered with the plastic mesh screen for windows. Will this work? I've bought a few of those pre made filter paper lids but I want to make use of my current lids.
> 
> Thanks.


----------



## jpstod (Sep 8, 2005)

I was getting Free "dead" containers from Petco. Check Locally to see if your Petco carries them.

Plastic Jar
Plastic Lid..
Stainless Steel Mesh inserts

Very Easy to reuse and Clean


----------



## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

jpstod said:


> I was getting Free "dead" containers from Petco. Check Locally to see if your Petco carries them.
> 
> Plastic Jar
> Plastic Lid..
> ...


OMG. I never even thought of this.


----------



## mark c (Jun 17, 2010)

I had a little bit of extra "all-purpose garden fabric" which is used for protecting tomatoes in early spring. I put the left-over fabric to use for making my own culture lids. It is a white material that is breathable, but won't let tiny things through. It has worked very well for me.

I use Elmer's regular white glue to attach the fabric. It is non-toxic and holds the fabric to the lid very well. You can smear it onto the lid with your finger and then apply the fabric. Silicone is too toxic, messy, and expensive for something like this.


----------



## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

mark c said:


> I use Elmer's regular white glue to attach the fabric. It is non-toxic and holds the fabric to the lid very well. You can smear it onto the lid with your finger and then apply the fabric. *Silicone is too toxic, messy, and expensive for something like this*.


The silicone isn't toxic at all once it's dried and set. I have a springtail culture that has a micron filter glued in place with silicone which is doing just fine. And springtails are supposed to be much more sensitive to chemicals than FFs.


----------



## crittermom (May 26, 2009)

What I do for my ff that is easy, quick, and cheap is I buy the tall deli cups from the grocery store deli (without lids). Then I save yogurt and cottage cheese lids from the large containers and cut a hold in the middle. These are much more durable than deli lids, and can be reused easily. Then I just slap a whole coffee filter over the top, and snap on the yogurt lid. Then just save the lid, but discard the coffee filter. Works great, and no gluing needed!


----------



## Rusty_Shackleford (Sep 2, 2010)

For anyone that's interested you can purchase the fabric that the pre-made lids are made of from JoAnn Fabrics. I only know because my mom works there and I have her pick me a few yards occasionally. I believe it's pretty cheap at 99 cents for a square yard. From there it's just a matter of securing it to a mason jar or standard deli cup by whatever means you choose.


----------



## jpstod (Sep 8, 2005)

There is always more than one way to skin a cat 
Here is a Cleaned Freebie


----------



## dustin2012 (Jun 28, 2011)

I use soda bottles.

I currently have 3 varieties, Melanogaster (like what comes in the Petco cultures), Jumpers (if someone can help me id these that would be appreciated. They're good size, jump, and fast producers.), and newly acquired Hydei. 

Pros:
1. Cheap: you can use non recyclable bottles, and the heavier bottles can be reused.
2. All I use is a rubber band and a napkin for the top. Nothing get's in or out unless i take it off.
3. Ease of feeding: Especially for the jumpers, the small opening allows for less to no escapes.
4. If you keep the lid, disposal is easy, just cap it, and toss it.
5. Little to no smell? Since i started raising frogs I've never had a problem with my FF cultures having an odor. Maybe it's the mix I use.

Cons:
I haven't really found any bad things about using them yet. Maybe if you don't wash and reuse them it's not that green of a way to feed.
If you don't have a steady supply of bottles it might not work for you. 

I did have an incident where one of my flightless cultures was contaminated with fliers, so i just capped it.


----------



## ykh (Oct 27, 2011)

wow, thanks everyone for your great ideas!


----------



## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

dustin2012 said:


> Jumpers (if someone can help me id these that would be appreciated. They're good size, jump, and fast producers.)


Sounds like they could be Turkish Gliders. To find out, take the top off, let them climb up to the edge and the will jump and glide through the air.


----------



## JPccusa (Mar 10, 2009)

Rusty_Shackleford said:


> For anyone that's interested you can purchase the fabric that the pre-made lids are made of from JoAnn Fabrics. I only know because my mom works there and I have her pick me a few yards occasionally. I believe it's pretty cheap at 99 cents for a square yard. From there it's just a matter of securing it to a mason jar or standard deli cup by whatever means you choose.


Do you have a picture of the fabric you are talking about? Maybe an ID from JoAnn Fabrics or something?

As alternatives, I was thinking thin felt or filter cloth.


----------



## bruce (Feb 23, 2007)

As a follow up to an earlier answer, I use mason jars with coffee filters and in the drier winter months use clear packers tape to tape up 1/2 the top of the coffee filters to keep the cultures from drying out.


----------



## JPccusa (Mar 10, 2009)

I got some coffee filters. They seem so obstructive to air flow. I cover my nose and mouth with, being able to breath okay, but it got me wondering about passive ventilation (instead of forcing air through the paper like I was doing in order to breath). I would never imagine coffee filters could be used to cover ventilation holes. I'm trusting this one on your experiences.


----------



## bruce (Feb 23, 2007)

I think one needs to experiment what works well for you. Medium/wetness of medium/temperature/kind of ff/etc all come into play when experimenting. I switched to coffee filters when it seems contradictory for me to be throwing out large quantities of used ff vessels (I used to make about 75 cultures a week) that ended up in landfill so I switched to mason jars (reusable) with plastic scouring pads for climbing and coffee filter tops.
I feel better about reusable articles with the quantity that I use.


----------



## B-NICE (Jul 15, 2011)

I have 3 or 4 of the fruit fly containers from the fruit fly company. I re use those.


----------



## Rusty_Shackleford (Sep 2, 2010)

JPccusa said:


> Do you have a picture of the fabric you are talking about? Maybe an ID from JoAnn Fabrics or something?
> 
> As alternatives, I was thinking thin felt or filter cloth.


Sorry, I didn't see your post till today. I'll try and get a SKU number or something for the fabric, I think I have a sample of it left so I'll get a pic of it for you.

I'll post again later with updates.


----------



## Rusty_Shackleford (Sep 2, 2010)

Here's some pics of the material I'm talking about. I put it on the viv so you could see the light coming through and see how sheer it is. That's what you get for 99 cents. Minus the corner I cut out lol. Still working on a SKU number


----------



## Blue_Pumilio (Feb 22, 2009)

Paper towels work just as awesome, more easily available, and cheaper. Never had issues with them.



Rusty_Shackleford said:


> Here's some pics of the material I'm talking about. I put it on the viv so you could see the light coming through and see how sheer it is. That's what you get for 99 cents. Minus the corner I cut out lol. Still working on a SKU number


----------



## jwmeeker (Dec 29, 2006)

I don't remember where I got this idea from, but the first few cultures I picked up from breeders were deli-cups with this 1" plug in the center. I kept that idea, but modified the foam plug with air conditioning weather stripping that can be found at any hardware store. Just cut an inch hole in each container and then about an inch of the weather stripping and plug it in.


----------



## Rusty_Shackleford (Sep 2, 2010)

jwmeeker said:


> I don't remember where I got this idea from, but the first few cultures I picked up from breeders were deli-cups with this 1" plug in the center. I kept that idea, but modified the foam plug with air conditioning weather stripping that can be found at any hardware store. Just cut an inch hole in each container and then about an inch of the weather stripping and plug it in.


Was it a solid lid with the 1" plug? I don't get it what was the plug for?


----------



## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Rusty_Shackleford said:


> Was it a solid lid with the 1" plug? I don't get it what was the plug for?


Ventilation.


----------



## JPccusa (Mar 10, 2009)

jwmeeker said:


> ... but modified the foam plug with air conditioning weather stripping


Any picture of this modification?

I am also not sure what an air conditioning weather stripping is.


----------



## EvilLost (Jan 10, 2011)

ykh said:


> I'm thinking of making lids for my deli FF containers by cutting a hole covered with the plastic mesh screen for windows. Will this work? I've bought a few of those pre made filter paper lids but I want to make use of my current lids.
> 
> Thanks.


No, but you can buy "No-See-Um" mesh that is small enough to stop the FF's and would work, but I'd make it a relatively small hole otherwise I'd be worried about it drying out too

I don't think it is worth the effort though


----------



## Hibiscusmile (Jul 29, 2008)

Rusty_Shackleford said:


> Here's some pics of the material I'm talking about. I put it on the viv so you could see the light coming through and see how sheer it is. That's what you get for 99 cents. Minus the corner I cut out lol. Still working on a SKU number


This is called interfacing, we girls use it to make something like a cloth purse have body to it when we sew, it is sewed inside so you do not see it.


----------



## jpstod (Sep 8, 2005)

also used in Embroidery


----------



## jwmeeker (Dec 29, 2006)

Sorry for the delay on this picture, but here is a picture of my modified lid with the air conditioning weather stripping, for ventilation purposes.


----------



## Evan Keller (Dec 4, 2008)

I use a similar method. Here at Millersville University fruit fly labs are a common biology class occurrence so there are plenty of foam plugs laying around. I just use an old soup container from the Chinese restaurant and cut a 1/2in to 3/4in hole in the lid and they are totally reuseable and work great! The plastic is a heavier gauge than deli containers. 
I believe there is a wholesaler like Ed's fly meat or something that makes cultures this way (that's where I got the idea).


----------



## Rusty_Shackleford (Sep 2, 2010)

I might as well post this here as well. The SKU# on that fabric is 01540640


----------

