This video describes one method to build a fly aspirator, which can be used to transfer insects between enclosures without anesthesia. The aspirator in the example protocol was prepared for an experiment to quantify individual grooming behaviors
Protocol
This protocol is an excerpt from Barradale et al., Quantification of Drosophila Grooming Behavior, J. Vis. Exp. (2017). Prepare an aspirator for moving live Drosophila from a culture vial to the grooming chamber. Aspirators allow transfer of conscious animals to the behavioral chambers to ensure that anesthesia does not affect subsequent behavioral observation. Using scissors cut 1.5 feet of tygon tubing ID 1/8", OD 1/4…
Materials
High-Flex Tygon PVC Clear Tubing
McMaster-Carr
5229K54
ID 1/8", OD 1/4", used with micropipettor tips and mesh to construct mouth aspirators
Micropipette tips (1 mL and 200 μL)
Genesee Scientific
24-165, 24-150R
Nylon Mesh Screen, 2 x 2.6"
McMaster-Carr
9318T44
Used to construct grooming chamber and mouth aspirators