Anesthetizing Fruit Flies

I am doing a genetics lab, and both my partner and me are having a huge amount of difficulty in anesthetizing our fruit flies. We use ether and what I believe is called the "Carolina Anesthetizer." Whenever drugging the flies, we encounter several problems.

1. After setting the flies into the anesthetizer, we wait for several minutes. The flies continue moving around.

2. After setting the flies into the anesthetizer, we wait until they stop moving. They are all dead from over-anesthetization.

3. After setting the flies into the anesthetizer, we wait until they are sluggish. We put them on an index card and most--if not all--of them display signs of life. Then, without warning, they begin convulsing and die.

Ugh. Is there anyone who has some tips for this crap? I'm assuming that most everyone took a course in high school that involved something like this.

Didn't you guys use FlyNap?

I believe if the fly flies into the anesthetizer, it dies. Maybe just work on your airseal?

maybe something is wrong with the machine

Its not a machine, its a chemical.

the anesthetizer is a machine (I think) its possible that that speed or amount of release is off

Originally posted by Alliance
Didn't you guys use FlyNap?

I believe if the fly flies into the anesthetizer, it dies. Maybe just work on your airseal?

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
the anesthetizer is a machine (I think) its possible that that speed or amount of release is off

Originally posted by FeceMan
No FlyNap, just ether. It's this weird tube thing that has holes in the bottom (too small for fruit flies to get through). On the other side is a sponge onto which 4-5 drops of ether are dripped. There's a plastic part that hooks the sponge to the bottom to keep the ether from escaping all over; the ether evaporates into the chamber.

Originally posted by FeceMan
I am doing a genetics lab, and both my partner and me are having a huge amount of difficulty in anesthetizing our fruit flies. We use ether and what I believe is called the "Carolina Anesthetizer." Whenever drugging the flies, we encounter several problems.

1. After setting the flies into the anesthetizer, we wait for several minutes. The flies continue moving around.

2. After setting the flies into the anesthetizer, we wait until they stop moving. They are all dead from over-anesthetization.

3. After setting the flies into the anesthetizer, we wait until they are sluggish. We put them on an index card and most--if not all--of them display signs of life. Then, without warning, they begin convulsing and die.

Ugh. Is there anyone who has some tips for this crap? I'm assuming that most everyone took a course in high school that involved something like this.

i had to anesthetize a puffer fish to trim its teeth 😱

never found myself having to prepare flies for surgery....come to think of it...WTF!?!?!?!?!?

Originally posted by FeceMan
No FlyNap, just ether. It's this weird tube thing that has holes in the bottom (too small for fruit flies to get through). On the other side is a sponge onto which 4-5 drops of ether are dripped. There's a plastic part that hooks the sponge to the bottom to keep the ether from escaping all over; the ether evaporates into the chamber.

Yeah, I understand.

Ether will probably kill the flies if they get in it...so that explains your death issue.

Are you guys doing this in hoods?

Originally posted by Alliance
Yeah, I understand.

Ether will probably kill the flies if they get in it...so that explains your death issue.

Are you guys doing this in hoods?

Do you have access to other anesthetics?

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
Do you have access to other anesthetics?

Sounds like your ether concentration is too high shrug

No. If the concentration was too high, they would die instantly. They are not loosing conscious fast enough. Besides, in a HS lab most of these protocols have been standardized again and again.

I'm actually shocked that you're using ether with no sort of protection.

I'd just try to take the flies out as soon as they drop. Ether isn't really the best possibility. Sealing in the ether will obviously knock them out faster and then you cna pull em out faster. If they're not sleepy enough, the worst that happens is it flies away.

I've never used this protocol before so I'm not real familiar with all the details.

Originally posted by Alliance
I'm actually shocked that you're using ether with no sort of protection.

Ah, devil ether. It makes you behave like the village drunkard in some early Irish novel. Total loss of all basic motor function. Blurred vision, no balance, numb tongue. The mind recoils in horror, unable to communicate with the spinal column. Which is interesting because you can actually watch yourself behaving in this terrible way, but you can't control it.

Originally posted by Adam_PoE

Exactly...FlyNap becomes StudentNap.

Originally posted by FeceMan
I am doing a genetics lab, and both my partner and me are having a huge amount of difficulty in anesthetizing our fruit flies. We use ether and what I believe is called the "Carolina Anesthetizer." Whenever drugging the flies, we encounter several problems.

1. After setting the flies into the anesthetizer, we wait for several minutes. The flies continue moving around.

2. After setting the flies into the anesthetizer, we wait until they stop moving. They are all dead from over-anesthetization.

3. After setting the flies into the anesthetizer, we wait until they are sluggish. We put them on an index card and most--if not all--of them display signs of life. Then, without warning, they begin convulsing and die.

Ugh. Is there anyone who has some tips for this crap? I'm assuming that most everyone took a course in high school that involved something like this.

I might have missed something because I'm tired, but it looks like they died twice. That ought to be your problem. Can't let 'em get back to life, or they'll fall apar- zzzzzzzz.

I have to echo the surprise over the use of ether. That stuff is dangerous in more ways than one.

I did fruit fly experiments in college, but we were just using flynap.

Originally posted by FeceMan
my partner and me

Have you ever thought of just asking politely?