# Fly storeage drawers



## defaced (May 23, 2005)

I've been thinking this for a while, but does anyone use plastic sliding drawers for storing your cultures? Something like this, but with drawers deep enough for 32oz culturing cups:
http://www.dendroboard.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=34487


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## reggorf (Oct 24, 2006)

We have one Mike. We use our heated fly cabinet for the first 10-16 days until we got the first burst of flies. Then we move the cultures into one of those drawers. The drawer is lined with paper towels that get sprayed with mite spray. We put 11 cultures in the drawer at a time. When all of those cultures have been completely fed out, we toss the cultures and changed the sprayed paper towels. I know that Josh uses them as well. He uses a lot of them though.


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## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

Yeah, they are sweet. I posted a link to the specific sterilite that I use on here once (holds 12 cultures perfectly).


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

Yeah too bad I don't remember which sterilite it is... I keep wanting to get them but only saw the specific ones once, and haven't been able to find them again


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## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

Now that you mention it, I think I have only seen that variety sterilite at the local Meijer (Meijer is only in Michigan, indiana, ohio, and maybe a few other states). They are price (over $20 for three drawers). They clearance them every now and then for $14.

So, the next time you run to Ohio, checkout a meijer and bring a truck.


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

Yes because I'm always going to Ohio...

Do I even know anyone in Ohio?

I did see them before... oddly enough at my local CVS store for $25. Still smacking myself for not dropping the $50.


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## reggorf (Oct 24, 2006)

I think we got ours at Walmart. It is just a single drawer though. It is not a dresser type unit with four or five drawers. But the one we got can be stacked. And I guess ours does hold 12 cultures. I must have forgotten how to count that day.


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## rozdaboff (Feb 27, 2005)

Before moving my flies into a cabinet (when I was making fewer cultures) - used the larger sterilite bins for fly cultures. They are pretty easy to find at WalMart/Target/Big Lots (not sure on what is available in your area). The other thing that I did was I drilled a hole in the back - and placed a red-light bulb. In my cold apartment - it helped provide warmth to the cultures in winter. However - it wasn't the optimal way to deal with the temps - and I moved to the cabinet setup.


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## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

If I'm thinking of what you guys are talking about (stace and oz), those things are pretty tall. The three drawer system is the same length/width, but isn't as high. I did use those at one time, but I can get more cultures per square foot with the drawer system.


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## rozdaboff (Feb 27, 2005)

I used one of these - but took off the wheels:


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## reggorf (Oct 24, 2006)

We only got this one so that we could put the heated cabinet back downstairs. It was taking up a lot of room upstairs and we were having mite problems. So, we only keep enough upstairs to feed for a week or so. Then we can rotate them with the next bunch of cultures. This way we don't have to go downstairs every time we want to feed the frogs. Here is the one we use.


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## frog_newbie (Sep 5, 2007)

Thanks for the great idea Josh. I went and picked one up from Walmart.


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## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

I use the same one Oz posted for my hydie.


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## sports_doc (Nov 15, 2004)

OK you guys have me wondering why?

Is there some benefit to this that I am not picking up on?

Kyle, Why the hydei?

I make 30-40 cx/week. And have 120 on hand at any one time. Can anyone envision a set-up that might work. (seriously)

Is it simply to get them out of sight? b/c 120 containers on all the tops of my racks isnt exactly beautiful I'll tell you....

but, out of sight, out of mind. Seeing them so easily now, I know which to pull ff's from daily.

Shawn


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## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

Shawn,

These things rock for many reasons. First off, if you could cut your "on hand" totals to 108, you could use three shelving units and stack the units 3 high. Saves space and looks better. Also, the drawers come out, so you can move cultures as you use them (i.e. new cultures go in the bottom and you throw out the cultures on the top shelves and move all the others up). Also (although there are those that disagree) humidity is often overlooked when it comes to fruit fly production. Keeping the cultures this way keeps the cultures from drying out (how high up the cup are you finding pupae?). Finally, it makes moving cultures easy as you can take the shelves to where you make the cultures, make the cultures in the shelf and then return the shelf to the unit.


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## sports_doc (Nov 15, 2004)

joshsfrogs said:


> Shawn,
> 
> These things rock for many reasons. First off, if you could cut your "on hand" totals to 108, you could use three shelving units and stack the units 3 high. Saves space and looks better. Also, the drawers come out, so you can move cultures as you use them (i.e. new cultures go in the bottom and you throw out the cultures on the top shelves and move all the others up). Also (although there are those that disagree) humidity is often overlooked when it comes to fruit fly production. Keeping the cultures this way keeps the cultures from drying out (how high up the cup are you finding pupae?). Finally, it makes moving cultures easy as you can take the shelves to where you make the cultures, make the cultures in the shelf and then return the shelf to the unit.


OK I'm coming around on the idea....thanks. Makes sense.

Humidity IS a big issue. No doubt.

S


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## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

I really think you will like them.


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

It is so much easier to tote around FF cxs in a bin! I use sweaterboxes on a level on my frog rack (48" holds two sweaterboxes on a level) but since I'm switching my frog set up a bit, I will no longer have room for the fly level  so if I can track down these bins...


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## bellerophon (Sep 18, 2006)

lemme know if ya find em locally Corey. I use something similar now but the drawers don't come out and only open 3/4 of the way. Pain in the but when you want the cultures in the back


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

I'm heading home (Ohio) this coming weekend. I'll be that weirdo in Meijer and Wallyworld checking out the bins. 

I'm currently using sterrilite sweater tubs, but they don't fit the cups very well. Sure you can put them in there, but it's not nice and even rows like I'd like.


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## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

Bring a few fruit fly cups with you (4 will be fine) to check the width of the shelf. They (or another company) makes one that is 4-6" wider. The right one holds 4 across (and 3 deep) with about an inch or two to spare.


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

No.


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## defaced (May 23, 2005)

Alrighty, here's what I ended up with. I'm not using them at the moment, my mom is, and she says she loves them. Mother approved, aye? :wink: 

I picked up two of these at Walmart, 15 bucks each. And I'm sure to Josh's amusement, I smuggled in some cups and lids into the store to see if they would fit well. 

I removed the top to one of the shelves and stacked them. The wheels were a bit of a pain to put in - literally. I had a hard time pushing them in without the wheel digging into my hands. Each drawer can fit 12 cultures pretty comfortably. You've gotta overlap the middle two rows a bit, but it's nothing major. I'm sure if someone wanted to they could cut part of the back of the drawer to allow them to fit better. 

Model and UPC:









View of one with the top:









What the leg looks like when you remove the top. To remove the top you have to take the top drawer out, unclip the top and pull it off. Super easy, I was surprised actually. 









One of the PITA wheels.









Height of drawer in relation to the cultures. 









How the cultures pack into the drawer. Note the over lap of the center two rows.


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## nelcadiz (Jun 27, 2007)

Great idea


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