D. Melanogaster Screen Type

[alephhat]

I've looked everywhere and I'm finding a lot of general information regarding this (what product people like, what they think is a good place to get product, etc...). I'm looking to purchase a screen for the D. Melanogaster flies I'm going to be culturing- however I'm not sure which mesh rating is necessary for them. The only thing I've seen online referred to 18 mesh which, I believe, equates to 1mm. Does this sound accurate? Personally I'm more into numbers and figures as opposed to product generalities, so essentially I'm wondering what mesh rating is necessary for D. Melanogaster to be unable to pass through it.

 

[alephhat]

OK. So I've looked around a wikipedia'd some info as well. According to wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._melanogaster

The D. melanogaster grows to be approximately 2.5 mm for females and bit less for males. In as far as mesh goes here is a wiki entry for mesh scale:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesh_%28scale%29

On the larger chart it indicates, under market grade or standard mesh, that an 18 mesh rating equates to 1mm which should be sufficiently small deter the D. Melanogaster from passing through. Theoretically an 11 mesh would work as well but I wouldn't go any smaller since I imagine size can vary to some degree.

So to get a 1mm screen you would look for depending on what is available to you is 18 mesh US or 16 if the Tyler equivalent is used. This should help in finding the appropriate screen type if you are shopping around for it.

 

[Rick]

I personally culture them in the 32 oz insect cups with the cloth and plastic lids that fit them. But if you have some other idea in mind you can buy mesh at any fabric store, wal mart, etc.

 

[PeterF]

I am a little bit worried about your numbers. Though I haven't looked at them very hard.

Are you using the length of the fruit fly? Do we even know what dimension the measurement is? Because it is their height can be different, and that might stop them from going through a screen or not.

Stress on the not.

Anyway. My experience is that they can get through normal window screen, but just barely and will hang onto it for the most part instead of going through.

I am not saying they won't or can't go through. I am just saying that it seems to be small enough that they are not completely comfortable.

If I were looking for a rated mesh, I would look for something half the size of normal window screen to be safe.

But to be clear, most of us use some type of cloth like mesh which is much much more fine. What I use is fine enough that you can see through it quite well if it is near you, but only so/so when it is a foot or more away. If that gives you a clue as to how fine it is. It really is a thin cloth, and not a proper mesh.

Some people use a coffee filter type paper, which is basically opaque.

To add complication. Size of the FF is variable by genetics, length of development, available food type/amount, species.

I suspect also wing type will effect what size mesh screen they can fit through.

 

[angelofdeathzz]

well the easiest way I found was to use a 32 oz deli cup and simply poke a bunch of holes in the lid with a needle, and/or just use a foam stopper, or a deli cup with the cloth lids work very well. no screen is needed at all. a screen opening will probably let the medium dry out rather quickly.

 

[alephhat]

I am a little bit worried about your numbers. Though I haven't looked at them very hard.

Are you using the length of the fruit fly? Do we even know what dimension the measurement is? Because it is their height can be different, and that might stop them from going through a screen or not.

Stress on the not.

Anyway. My experience is that they can get through normal window screen, but just barely and will hang onto it for the most part instead of going through.

I am not saying they won't or can't go through. I am just saying that it seems to be small enough that they are not completely comfortable.

The 18 x 18 mesh (1mm opening) is significantly smaller than standard windows screen and should hold them even with varying sizes. On the plus side they come out as adult fruit flies from maggots so there wont be as much variance in size as there would be if they did not have a metamorphic stage.

On the down side, buying 18 x 18 mesh (or basically any mesh aside from basic screen mesh and a few others) is expensive and hard to find not sold in bulk. I have since taken the advice of others on here and just went with the 32 oz. "lab" cups. It will be generally more economical and practical to get them preassembled since I don't have "factory" space to just have rolls of mesh and cups lying around to assemble my own lol.

I'm assuming, though, that the mesh involved with the cups is either 18 x 18 or 20 x 20 sieve

 

[PhilinYuma]

Ha, ha, Alephhat! Time to stop talking and try it out! Be sure, though, that your mels are familiar with the Tyler scale, first!

As usual, Rick was right about the customary, easy way to keep mels in pots. I raise them in open pots in a 12" net cube whose mesh prevents their escape.