Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!rutgers!njin!princeton!phoenix!greg
From: greg@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Gregory Nowak)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Fruit Flys
Keywords: zzzzz
Message-ID: <4522@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>
Date: 20 Nov 88 17:05:08 GMT
References: <8648@gryphon.COM>
Reply-To: greg@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Gregory Nowak)
Organization: Princeton University, NJ
Lines: 74

In article <8648@gryphon.COM> richard@gryphon.COM (Richard Sexton) writes:

}I'm having a problem with fruit flies.

Is this related to any other problems you may hav-- never mind.

}Apparantly they are a wonderfull food for tropical fish, so I set
}about recently trying to establish some sort of practical method
}of culturing them.

Start slow, and not too heavy -- the Brandenburgs, maybe a little
Restoration comedy, Shelley, etc. Stay out of the 20th century untill
you consult winslow.

}What I have so far is: a large tupperware container in which I left
}about 3 dozen grapes. It's in an office at work where nobody will
}notice, inside a book case with glass doors.

It's a start, at least. 

}I put the grapes there about 3 - 4 weeks ago, and have been noticing
}a small increase in the number of fruit flies.
}I checked it today, and we seem to have quite a crop.

GOOD! With luck they can all share the same seat at the concerts.

}Once I have them in a jar, they're as good as dinner, as apparantly
}all you do is add a bit of water, shake the jar up, and pour it in 
}an aquarium. Thus, you dont want a lot of grape goop in the jar.

}At any rate, they ignored the jar completely and all snuck back into
}the tupperware container.

They'll congregate on bananas or banana peel. Why can't you just put
water in the tupperware? Am I missing something?

}	What is it they are attracted to ? There's an amyl acetate
}	kind of smell coming from the grape slush. Is this what does
}	it ?

You just have a nice personality. You eed them, you take them out, hy
shouldn't they be attracted to you?

}	DO any of you peple raise fruit flies as part of your jobs ?

[Note how Richard has subtly shifted his claim; we're now to believe
that he's being paid by Trailing Edge to raise flies.]

}	Surely you have a better method than this.

That's PROPRIETARY INFORMATION, buddy!

}	I've heard a bit about the wingless drosphilia, but I understand
}	that there are two strains - a warm one and a cold one and
}	the warm one regains it's wings above 70 F. Not much use.
}	They CAN'T go in the fridge. I'm still in trouble about that
}	little incident with the worms and the spanish rice.

They're not supposed to get that big -- if the mealworms are eating
your leftovers, contact CDC.


}A prompts response would be most appreciated, as, judging from the number
}of pupae in and around the container, there are going to be a LOT of
}flies when I go into work monday.


And they'll be MAD AS HELL.


-- 

rutgers!phoenix.princeton.edu!greg   Gregory A Nowak/Phoenix Gang/Princeton NJ 
    "Take 2*3*5*7*11*13.  It's divisible by 59." --Matt Crawford