# Mason Jar Lids and FF's



## Blort (Feb 5, 2005)

Hi,

I have some new cultures that are producing tons of flies. At any rate, I am using wide mouth mason jars with coffee filters. The issue that I have run into is that when I transfer flies for feeding there are so many that at least a dozen or so end up in the threads and little by little make their way out to where they aren't welcome. I have been putting the culture in a 1 gallon zip loc right after transfer so that all the flies at least are contained where I can get them and put them in another container. So, just wondering if anybody else has run into this and how you deal with very active cultures in mason jars. I am honestly considering moving to plastic cups even though adding more plastic that can't be recyled to the heap doesn't make me very happy.

In newer cultures I have left more of a gap between the exelsior and the top of the jar so that maybe the lid becomes less popular of a hang out for the FF. I was also contemplating something on the top 1/2" of the jar like vaseline to keep them from scaling the walls. The other solution is to just go with the superior cups. Finally, just wondering if anybody sticks the whole culture in the fridge to get the flies to calm down or uses CO2 to put the flies under. I have a baggie with my escapees that I am going to anesthesize with C02 as an experiment.

Anyway, sorry about the rambling post, but I am leaving the frogs for a couple of days to someone else's care for whom I want to minimize the FF "experience"

Thanks a million,

Marcos


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## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

If you have a dishwasher you can wash the cups (plastic). I guess you could wash the lids too.


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## Catfur (Oct 5, 2004)

Before you dump flies from the culture, bang the jar a little, it knocks the flies down. And I use a cup to transfer from jar to jar. Flies into cup, seal jar one, flies from cup to jar two, seal jar two.


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## Blort (Feb 5, 2005)

Thanks for the feedback. I use a gallon bag for the transfers which works just fine, but the problem is that there are so many flies that a good dozen still get into the lid from the time I open the jar to the time I get the lid screwed back on (probably about 2 seconds max) Unfortunately, these crazy little fellows are only delayed about 1/2 a second after I tap them down. They are gliders so they have the uncanny ability to propel themselves through the aether and they reproduce like mad so there are tons that hatch every night. I have been tempted to phase out the gliders and get some more civilized flies  I thrown them in the freezer sometimes which takes the wind out of their sails for a bit, but don't like putting the whole culture in there if I can avoid it. I didn't get a chance to put them under with CO2 tonight, but I am going to soon with a little baking soda and vineger working as a CO2 generator. I've read on some of the genetic's lab sites that this works like a charm... I may try the vaseline on the rim of the jar too and see if that puts a crimp on their Harry Houdini ways.


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## geckguy (Mar 8, 2004)

I say stick with the gliders, from my experience they are the best producers, to me it is worth it too have a bunch of flies and have a few escapees.


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

That's nice, and I agree, but that is not what he's asking.

s



geckguy said:


> I say stick with the gliders, from my experience they are the best producers, to me it is worth it too have a bunch of flies and have a few escapees.


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## geckguy (Mar 8, 2004)

Actually he was contemplating changing to a different fly as he said in the above post. The vaseline will end up being a huge mess, flies will stick to it, it will get on your fingers than on your tanks, fly cups, etc..., and once it is on something it is hard to get it off completely. CO2 works, and it will knock them out for a few minutes. I suggest using a paintball CO2 tank with a remote, it is a little cleaner than the baking soda/vinegar method, but the baking soda method is cheaper. Whenever I am in a pinch and don't have C02 in my tank to euthanize mice, I use the baking soda method and most of the time some of the liquid goes up the tube and floods the euthanization chamber.


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## Blort (Feb 5, 2005)

Jacob,

Thanks for the recommendation about the paintaball tanks. Great idea! I hadn't thought about that as an option. FF time is enough of a circus w/o baking soda and vinegar, so that sounds like a good idea. Do you dose the flies through the mesh top or how do you get the CO2 in there? Also, from the little I have read, it seems the CO2 doesn't negatively affect the flies or the larva.

Thanks,

Marcos


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

Hey Jacob - I see it in his second post, didn't see it in his first.

My apologies.

s


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## geckguy (Mar 8, 2004)

I used it on some fliers that came from crossing gliders with flightless, I opened the lid a crack and slid the tube in and turned on the tank to release just a little at a time. They were all out in about 30 seconds, then I opened the lid and fed them to my frogs. I am not sure how it affects the flies, but it knocked them out, and they were awake in a few minutes.


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## Darks!de (Nov 16, 2004)

It doesn't affect them negatively. It is a very common practice when using FF's in DNA labs and research. They are dumped on a "snooze pad" which is just a porous tablet which is connected to a CO2 tank. They are all knocked out in a few seconds and you can do whatever you need to do with them. Pretty efficient method. They wake up in a few minutes after you get them off the CO2.

Basically it's FF anesthesia.

Luke


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## aneides (Apr 12, 2005)

I highly recommend NOT using vaseline. You will end up with tons of flies stuck to it, not to mention that petroleum based food supplements are not indicated for amphibians  . 

I have used the freezer technique with no noticeable negative affect. 

Aneides


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## Keroppi (Nov 23, 2004)

ooops...I posted a solution to this in Darks!des FF post. I should have put it here. I used mason jars for a long time and never had any FF escape from the jars...the tank yes :? ...but not the jars. Anyway...you should check it out.

eve s.


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## Guest (May 29, 2005)

here's my recommandation , cut a whole is the top the mason jar round about a 2" diameter, then plug the hole witha sponge. When you want fruit fly put a medium"sandwich" bag over the jar, while the bag is on remove the sponge, then knoch thye fruit flies into the bag, after that manipulate the sponge back into place. none of the fruitflies can escape.


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