Fruit Flies Helped ID Heads

[tom sawyer]

I'm making a lot of wine right now and have a lot of fruit flies in the garage. I ran my NCHooch all grain spirit run yesterday and collected 12 jars in the 80-60% range. I covered each with a coffee filter to let them air. The fruit flies loved the first four jars, and showed some limited interest in the fifth. They had little interest in the rest. Just thought that was interesting.

[Usge]

Might have just been too drunk to continue Interesting observation though.

[Prairiepiss]

How do you make cuts?

I let my pet fruit flies make my cuts for me.

That's funny. I've never really paid that much attention to it. But I still indoors. So I don't have much of a problem.

[astronomical]

i noticed this too... they definitely like heads... heads also catch house flies... theyll drown in it

[tom sawyer]

My wife said I should've taken the cover off an let the little suckers burn. As it is we have several traps set for them. They don't last long but when they are here they are in force. Don't think I'd grow them just for this purpose but they apparently do know their stuff.

Now I gotta find some organism that likes tails, then I got it made.

[Buccaneer Bob]

Well spotted.

I have noticed the same phenomenon, but I hadn't posted anything about it ... I guess I thought I was the only one plagued by those little #%&@'s.

Yeah, apparently the heads contain something that reminds them of ripe (or rotted?) fruit, and the cleaner alcohol doesn't.

And they are right-on-the-money about it, too.

Next thing you know, I'll have to start giving them a paycheck.

[tom sawyer]

Give'em some heads!

What would like wet cardboard, termites?

[LWTCS]

Termites ....that's funny right there!

[Bull Rider]

Last UJSM run I noticed the same thing, all of the fruit flys were on the first three pint jars of UJSM. We're at maximum fruit fly infestation right now, the orchards have been picked and there is a lot of fruit on the ground. Waiting for the first hard frost.


Bull.

[OBX Phantom]

I noticed the same thing a couple weeks ago, but I just didn't put 2+2 together and realize that they were on the heads.

[King Of Hearts]

Well hell then, earwigs like wash, I found one in a two gal plastic container I used to transport to the still with. He climbed in and just died, doesn't say to much for my wash tho.

[Usge]

Somebody long time ago posted a pic of an possum that crawled into his fermented mash. The bucket was turned over, the possum was covered head to toe, and just had his nose sticking into the ground. Apparently, he was so hammered...couldn't even crawl out of the bucket or lift his head.

Here it is: http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=7803

[Jimbo]

Yes they are bad this year. Probably doesnt help that I have the pomace from 1000 lbs of apples piled in the garden waiting to be tilled under. I set a pint of beer and glass of brandy on the table and in the time it took me to take a piss and walk back there were 3 in my beer and one swimming in the brandy. We need a good frost to wipe the bastards out.

[Hawk_]

Little buggers. They are the reason I put coffee filters on the jars and strain my distillate. Works out fine. Just mark the jars and walla. Ill pay more attention to my next run. I have 2 on the next couple days. Would be interesting to see.

[frozenthunderbolt]

Give'em some heads!

What would like wet cardboard, termites?

Snails? - the eat labels of bottles and love damp mail. Wasps also like the headsier bits

[Usge]

Not many insects like "oils" that I know of. So, I doubt there would be much attraction to tails.