However many you want. There does not need to be a set amount. I normally just funnel in about 8-15 or so. Whatever they don't eat right then they will eat later.
Fruit Fly Funnel
- Thread starter lectricblueyes
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lectricblueyes
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Rick, need your advice. Currently, I have my FF cultures in 32oz plastic deli containers. Pretty standard stuff. To get them into the funnels, I take a plastic cup, line the top with a very thin layer of butter using my finger. Keeps them from getting out of the cup. The cup is very small and easy to "tap" the cup to keep them all disoriented and fallign down into the funnel.
My problem is. I have to hold the lip of the 32oz cup open and HOPE that they come falling into my small butter-cup. Holding a 32oz culture, while peeling the lid back and tapping on the culture so they fall into the butter cup is a pain and I have tons of escapees. I do this on a white cutting board so I can easily spot them and pick them up. My big fingers kill 50% of my escapees. Any better method? Getting 5-10 FF's into buttered cup and then into the little holes in the nyph containers is an every-other nighly pain
Yes there are other methods but I will describe again. <_< Again, keep it simple. You need to put a hole in the side of the deli cup. Too hard to crack the lid on those. Get you a small vial ( i use a fruit fly vial) and put your funnel in that. Then you can remove the foam plug from the hole in the side of the 32 oz deli cup and tap the flies into your funnel. The funnel prevents them from getting out of the vial. Then replace your plug in the deli cup and put a foam plug in the vial. Since the vial is small you can then stick your funnel into the holes in your mantid enclosures and tap the flies from the vial and into the mantis cage. I hope that makes sense. You're essentially transferring the flies from the cup into the vial as it is much easier to handle while feeding multiple mantid enclosures.Rick, need your advice. Currently, I have my FF cultures in 32oz plastic deli containers. Pretty standard stuff. To get them into the funnels, I take a plastic cup, line the top with a very thin layer of butter using my finger. Keeps them from getting out of the cup. The cup is very small and easy to "tap" the cup to keep them all disoriented and fallign down into the funnel. My problem is. I have to hold the lip of the 32oz cup open and HOPE that they come falling into my small butter-cup. Holding a 32oz culture, while peeling the lid back and tapping on the culture so they fall into the butter cup is a pain and I have tons of escapees. I do this on a white cutting board so I can easily spot them and pick them up. My big fingers kill 50% of my escapees. Any better method? Getting 5-10 FF's into buttered cup and then into the little holes in the nyph containers is an every-other nighly pain
Here is a mock up photo since I don't have any flies right now. Put away the butter :lol:
This pic shows the funnel in the mantis enclosure which you would then tap flies from the vial through the funnel. That is an old pic and I was culturing flies in the vial itself so just ignore that since you will be putting them in there from your larger deli cup. Or if you want you can culture in there but they don't produce as many flies.
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lectricblueyes
Well-known member
TYVM!Yes there are other methods but I will describe again. <_< Again, keep it simple. You need to put a hole in the side of the deli cup. Too hard to crack the lid on those. Get you a small vial ( i use a fruit fly vial) and put your funnel in that. Then you can remove the foam plug from the hole in the side of the 32 oz deli cup and tap the flies into your funnel. The funnel prevents them from getting out of the vial. Then replace your plug in the deli cup and put a foam plug in the vial. Since the vial is small you can then stick your funnel into the holes in your mantid enclosures and tap the flies from the vial and into the mantis cage. I hope that makes sense. You're essentially transferring the flies from the cup into the vial as it is much easier to handle while feeding multiple mantid enclosures. Here is a mock up photo since I don't have any flies right now. Put away the butter :lol:
lectricblueyes
Well-known member
Most places that sell fruit flies (except local petstores like petsmart) should carry them. I get most of my supplies from carolina.com
lectricblueyes
Well-known member
Ah okay. Cool. The biggest tip here for me, is getting that hole in the side of the FF culture. That's going to really help. It's more like pouring FF's instead of trying to get them to creep out of the top. Thanks Rick.
Yep. I just use a razor. The hole ends up being square but the foam fills it up just fine. Some people use something hot to melt a round hole. Carolina.com sells tons of stuff you may find useful. I have found their shipping to be slow though. They have some nice net cages for butterflies that work great for mantids.
nasty bugger
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I figure once the ff's are asleep after freezing that they're pretty easy to handle at that point anyway.
On those cheap candles, use one for a few days and check out the soot on your cieling after that, they are nasty
On those cheap candles, use one for a few days and check out the soot on your cieling after that, they are nasty
I never used the freezer for flightless fruit flies. Not sure what you mean by candles. After many, many generations of breeding at home your fruitflies may begin to fly again. Mine always do after several months.
jacksun
Well-known member
While he's at it he should check the ceiling for his date too......after the mantid introductions did the candles matter????
you really like inventing. your funnel is great too. maybe one day youll build and indoor rainforest with your own mantis species. B)Hey there! When I went on a mantid shopping spree last night I had stopped at the hardware store for a glue-gun, exact-o knife and a few other things. While searching for my stuff I happen to notice some small plastic funnels which gave me an idea. So, I bought a set of them for $2.49. It came with 3 different sized funnels. They are clear, plastic, and very slick. I don't have a picture but found one online that looks similar:
or
After making feeder/water mist holes in the tops of my 12oz deli cups, I decided to give it a shot.
Well, I put the little funnel in the little hole. It stood up nice and straight in the top hole
Next, I tapped my fruit fly 32oz cup on the desk and they all went crazy as usual.
I pealed back the lid of the fruit fly cup just a little bit, aimed over the top of the funnel and 3 fruit flies came flying out of the top of the cup and dropped right into the funnel.
They slid right into the nyphs home and walla. All done
My thing is... I have some pretty big fingers and it's very hard to catch the fruit flies, pinch them without killing them and then dropping them into the little hole without missing. The funnel made it very easy and I was amazed at how easily they slid right down that funnel. I did all 7 of my cups in less than 5 minutes and only a couple of times the fruit flies caught onto the side of the funnel. That was easily fixed by simply tapping on the funnel with my finger until he let go and entered the enclosure of doom!
Just my little tip.
