this post was submitted on 17 Oct 2024
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Science Memes

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 month ago (5 children)

Can somebody explain the fruit thing? I've seen fruit flies demolish fresh fruit. The amount of yeast biomass on them must be negligible at that point. Do the eggs/larvae spread the yeast before they start eating?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

There's even the old Marx brothers joke "time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana"

The fruit fly trap taught to me by an entomologist friend is baited with wine, suggesting the fruit flies want fermenting fruit

The trap: get a plastic fizzy drink bottle; bigger is better

Cut off the top. The cut piece is a cone

Place the cone (the top piece) upside down on the rest of the bottle

Sticky tape the joint

Bait with cheap wine or leftover wine or beer. The bait is poured down the funnel into the trap

Her tastes were revealed in the description of baiting the trap — she specified red wine, but I have tested with various booze and fruit flies have no taste, they'll go for anything. You could probably extract bait from the sourdough starter you made in lockdown and kept alive despite never making bread after that first try

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Doesn't even have to be actual booze. Apple cider vinegar + a drop of dawn dish soap works a treat.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

I guess not everyone has easy access to booze

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