To change sponges, get sponges from the thrips cabinet (one per cage). Place in beaker and add just enough diluted honey from bottle in refrigerator for the sponges to be thoroughly soaked.
Sponges are sterilized using a bleach solution. As bleach will remove fatty acids from skin wear gloves. Wash bleach off of hands immediately after any contact with skin.
Averages less than 5 min daily.
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| Honey is placed on sponges to provide an additional food source for the thrips. Sponges should be changed twice a week to prevent fungal growth. On days when sponges are not changed, add enough honey to soak sponges but not so much that a puddle forms around the sponge. Add a small amount, wait for it to soak in, then add a little more. If added too quickly, the honey runs off the sponge and forms a puddle (as well as a sticky mess making thrips care more difficult). | |
To change sponges, get sponges from the thrips cabinet (one per cage). Place in beaker and add just enough diluted honey from bottle in refrigerator for the sponges to be thoroughly soaked. |
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| Remove old sponges from cages, leaving as many thrips in the cages as possible and place old sponges in a second beaker or a basket to be washed. Place fresh sponges in cages. | |
| Rinse the sponges in warm water then wash in an ~5% bleach solution (no soap). Rinse well with deionized water. Leaving the sponges in the bleach for more than a few minutes will cause them to degrade. |
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| Place the sponges on a paper towel to dry. Sponges may be reused after they have dried. Sponges which have just been washed should not be used, as the chlorine in the bleach may affect the thrips. | |
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| Honey from the carboy next to the sink is diluted in a 1:1 ratio with deionized water for use in the thrips colony. |  |
| Fill container to desired level with honey, leaving room to mix an equal amount of water in the same container. Honey drains slowly (~300 mL in 15 minutes), so a timer may be used as a reminder to shut the spigot off before a large and rather sticky mess is created when the beaker overflows. |  |
| Mix honey well with an equal amount of deionized water. |
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| Store diluted honey in the honey containers in the refrigerator. The squeeze bottle should be kept on shelf where it will not make a mess of the entire refrigerator if it drips. |
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