27 replies to this topic

[Flu1d]

I've also looked into mason jars. How does the cleaning compare to freezing the dead culture in a 32 oz deli cup?

Super easy to clean. I pull out the excelsior and throw it away, then put hot water in the jar and slosh it around with the lid on and then rinse it into the sink. Then wash the jar and lid and start a new culture. I have 4 jars so I can have multiples up so my ants never have to go without.

I like that method you use with the metal bowl. I have a glass vial that fit on the feeding lid and I let a few crawl in, freeze the vial for some minutes and dump them into my colonies. Both ways would work fantastic!

[Mushu]

 

I've also looked into mason jars. How does the cleaning compare to freezing the dead culture in a 32 oz deli cup?

Super easy to clean. I pull out the excelsior and throw it away, then put hot water in the jar and slosh it around with the lid on and then rinse it into the sink. Then wash the jar and lid and start a new culture. I have 4 jars so I can have multiples up so my ants never have to go without.

I like that method you use with the metal bowl. I have a glass vial that fit on the feeding lid and I let a few crawl in, freeze the vial for some minutes and dump them into my colonies. Both ways would work fantastic!

 

Nice. Yeah I also put flies in a plastic sauce container and flash freeze them for about 30 minutes before feeding. I used an aspirator container and being thicker it took much longer to freeze them and they woke up mid way and freaked out a young colony. While I like seeing the ants hunt live wingless flies, they leave poop all over the outworld walls for the ones not caught. 

[Flu1d]

I've also looked into mason jars. How does the cleaning compare to freezing the dead culture in a 32 oz deli cup?

Super easy to clean. I pull out the excelsior and throw it away, then put hot water in the jar and slosh it around with the lid on and then rinse it into the sink. Then wash the jar and lid and start a new culture. I have 4 jars so I can have multiples up so my ants never have to go without.

I like that method you use with the metal bowl. I have a glass vial that fit on the feeding lid and I let a few crawl in, freeze the vial for some minutes and dump them into my colonies. Both ways would work fantastic!

Nice. Yeah I also put flies in a plastic sauce container and flash freeze them for about 30 minutes before feeding. I used an aspirator container and being thicker it took much longer to freeze them and they woke up mid way and freaked out a young colony. While I like seeing the ants hunt live wingless flies, they leave poop all over the outworld walls for the ones not caught.

It's actually crazy how much doodoo fruit flies leave behind.

I typically let my ants hunt the FF's, but I do the freeze thing as well. It prevents dookie stains all along the outworld.. but I do feel like they enjoy taking them down, as well.

[PurdueEntomology]

I fill a spent jar with boiling water, let it sit for an hour then decant.  All the waste flows out in sink where I catch it with a sieve and then discard.  I then half fill with hot water and place a piece of steel wool ( used for pots and pans) and swish it around till all remaining gunk comes off, decant.  Second wash with drop of dish washing liquid and hot water, swish and decant.  Then rinse and let dry. I use reusable screen which easily washes under a flow of tap water.  Upshot, all very easy and constantly reusable .  I have had no contamination with this method, but since the food base is highly acidic that extreme low pH assists in bacteria and fungi control. 

Edited by PurdueEntomology, April 3 2024 - 10:20 PM.

[PurdueEntomology]

 

 

 

I've also looked into mason jars. How does the cleaning compare to freezing the dead culture in a 32 oz deli cup?

Super easy to clean. I pull out the excelsior and throw it away, then put hot water in the jar and slosh it around with the lid on and then rinse it into the sink. Then wash the jar and lid and start a new culture. I have 4 jars so I can have multiples up so my ants never have to go without.

I like that method you use with the metal bowl. I have a glass vial that fit on the feeding lid and I let a few crawl in, freeze the vial for some minutes and dump them into my colonies. Both ways would work fantastic!

Nice. Yeah I also put flies in a plastic sauce container and flash freeze them for about 30 minutes before feeding. I used an aspirator container and being thicker it took much longer to freeze them and they woke up mid way and freaked out a young colony. While I like seeing the ants hunt live wingless flies, they leave poop all over the outworld walls for the ones not caught.

It's actually crazy how much doodoo fruit flies leave behind.

I typically let my ants hunt the FF's, but I do the freeze thing as well. It prevents dookie stains all along the outworld.. but I do feel like they enjoy taking them down, as well.

 

We like to anthropomorphize.

[futurebird]

I'm going to try this test tube method. I've used larger jars, but it's just too many flies. I can buy some fruit flies and isolate them them hopefully crack them open as needed. 

 

Putting them in the wine fridge is a good way to keep them longer... but the regular fridge is too cold and will kill them. 

[Flu1d]

I've also looked into mason jars. How does the cleaning compare to freezing the dead culture in a 32 oz deli cup?

Super easy to clean. I pull out the excelsior and throw it away, then put hot water in the jar and slosh it around with the lid on and then rinse it into the sink. Then wash the jar and lid and start a new culture. I have 4 jars so I can have multiples up so my ants never have to go without.

I like that method you use with the metal bowl. I have a glass vial that fit on the feeding lid and I let a few crawl in, freeze the vial for some minutes and dump them into my colonies. Both ways would work fantastic!

Nice. Yeah I also put flies in a plastic sauce container and flash freeze them for about 30 minutes before feeding. I used an aspirator container and being thicker it took much longer to freeze them and they woke up mid way and freaked out a young colony. While I like seeing the ants hunt live wingless flies, they leave poop all over the outworld walls for the ones not caught.

It's actually crazy how much doodoo fruit flies leave behind.

I typically let my ants hunt the FF's, but I do the freeze thing as well. It prevents dookie stains all along the outworld.. but I do feel like they enjoy taking them down, as well.

We like to anthropomorphize.

How so?

[Locness]

Great idea with mason jars. Plastic containers are flimsy and not reusable. I usually just freeze my fruit flies to control their population.