Fly population schedule

The cycle has arbitrarily set to start with the inoculation of tubs. Click on superscripts for additional information.

28 day schedule for two population cycles.
Cycle begins on Monday and requires fly person to tend flies every other weekend.
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
-	1 Collect eggs and inoculate tubs¹. Second release of adults into cages².	2 Days marked in yellow are days when others can collect embryos³. Freeze spent tubs. Dispose of tubs and clean lids for use with next cycle⁴.	3	4	5 Add dry yeast and moist towel to each tub.	6
7	8 Contact lab to determine how large the next population should be.	9 Prepare tubs for the next cycle⁵. Prepare grape plates for the next cycle⁶.	10	11	12	13 First release of adults into cages⁷. Inform lab that population will be ready Monday.
14 Change grape plates.	15 Collect eggs and inoculate tubs¹. Second release of adults into cages².	16 Days marked in yellow are days when others can collect embryos³. Freeze spent tubs. Dispose of tubs and clean lids for use with next cycle⁴.	17	18	19 Add dry yeast and moist towel to each tub.	20
21	22 Contact lab to determine how large the next population should be.	23 Prepare tubs for the next cycle⁵. Prepare grape plates for the next cycle⁶.	24	25	26	27 First release of adults into cages⁷. Inform lab that population will be ready Monday.
28 Change grape plates.	29 Collect eggs and inoculate tubs¹. Second release of adults into cages².			-	-	-

28 day schedule for two population cycles.
Cycle begins on Thursday and does not require fly person to tend flies on weekends.
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
-	-	-	-	1 Collect eggs and inoculate tubs¹. Second release of adults into cages².	2 Days marked in yellow are days when others can collect embryos³. Freeze spent tubs. Dispose of tubs and clean lids for use with next cycle⁴.	3
4	5 Add dry yeast and moist towel to each tub.	6	7	8 Contact lab to determine how large the next population should be.	9 Prepare tubs for the next cycle⁵. Prepare grape plates for the next cycle⁶.	10
11	12	13 First release of adults into cages⁷. Inform lab that population will be ready Thursday.	14 Change grape plates	15 Collect eggs and inoculate tubs¹. Second release of adults into cages².	16 Days marked in yellow are days when others can collect embryos³. Freeze spent tubs. Dispose of tubs and clean lids for use with next cycle⁴.	17
18	19 Add dry yeast and moist towel to each tub.	20	21	22 Contact lab to determine how large the next population should be.	23 Prepare tubs for the next cycle⁵. Prepare grape plates for the next cycle⁶.	24
25	26	27 First release of adults into cages⁷. Inform lab that population will be ready Thursday.	28 Change grape plates	-29 Collect eggs and inoculate tubs¹. Second release of adults into cages².	-	-

Notes:
1. The tubs are stored in the cold room. Allow them to warm up to room temperature for several hours (or overnight) before adding eggs. This link describes how to inoculate the tubs.

2. A second release of adults from the tubs is not necessary if you have obtained enough eggs to innoculate all the tubs and if no one else intends to collect eggs.

3. The flies must be provided a fresh grape plate with yeast at least once per day to maintain the population. If no one wants to collect eggs, leave the cages for at least a few days with out food to kill the adults and then clean the cages. This link describes how to feed the adults.

4. Freeze the tubs for at least 24 hours to kill the flies. The lids can then be cleaned anytime before you need them to make new tubs. This link describes how to clean the lids.

5. You need 15 to 20 tubs for each cage. One cage is enough to maintain the fly population. If someone plans to collect embryos, plan to set up at least 3 or 4 cages (45 to 60 tubs). The tubs can be prepared anytime before they are needed for the next inoculation, and they should be stored in the cold room. This link describes of how to prepare the tubs.

6. You will need at least 2 grape plates per cage in order to start the next cycle. Discuss what will be needed with those individuals who plan to collect eggs. Others will probably need 2 grape plates per cage per day when they are collecting eggs. Since one typically collects for at least 3 days and there could be 4 cages, you'll need to prepare at least 24 plates in addition to what you need. Grape plates can be prepared anytime before they are needed and should be stored in the cold room. This link describes how to prepare grape plates.

7. Flies are released by placing a grape plate with yeast in each cage. Then place a tub in the cage and remove the lid by grasping through the cloth cover. Allow the flies to exit the tub for about 30 to 60 seconds. Gently tap the lid and the tub, replace the lid and set the tub back on the shelf. A second release should be done in two days if someone else intends to collect eggs. This link describes how to set up the cages. This link describes how to feed the adults.