What is excelsior and where do you get it?

[BocaJan]

I understand you use this stuff in making fruit fly cultures. when I google it I get hotels, motels, lounges, etc.

Does anyone have some?

 

[FroggtheCham]

Our site sponsor Josh's Frogs has it.

 

[Dave Weldon]

Howdy Jan,

As Franie said about Josh's having fruit fly supplies...

Excelsior or coffee filters are commonly used as climbing structures for the maggots or hatched fruit flies to hang-out on: http://www.joshsfrogs.com/product/820/53/excelsior-10-oz-fine

Excelsior vs. coffee filters. I bought the cheap Costco filters and used 3-6 stacked together (just as they came out of the bag), sticking the end down into the food media. http://joshsfrogs.blogspot.com/2007/07/surface-area-in-fruit-fly-cultures.html

(Next time with Google, search with excelsior fruit flies and see what pops-up )

 

[Monkeykungphu]

Hey Bocajan, interesting you ask this. I was reading up Marty's post about Fruit Fly Culturing & he had a couple of tips on finding excelsior, maybe this will help...

It's expensive if you buy it at a craft store. It's cheap if you get it at a packing place of go to home depot early spring when their water fountains come in Don't ask, just take an empty box with all the excelsior you need and tell the cashier it's empty- they never seem to mind. I did that for a long time, then I needed it in the fall, home depot didn't have any, so I bought a bail of it for about $50. That was 2 years ago. I gave a ton to other people and I still have enough for the next 5 years! Get few guys, get a bail and your excelsior problem will be solved. I don't remember where I bought it tough...somewhere on the web at a packing place.

It's from a GREAT 'how to' on FF culturing:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/fruit-fly-culturing-12441/

 

[FFSTRescue]

I found Excelsior at JoAnn Fabrics, so you could probably find it at arts and crafts stores

 

[BocaJan]

Thanks. Coffee filters sound like the best bet. Cheap and easy to find and no mess when you shake flies out. Now that I know what it is I can make a choice.

 

[james L]

Go with excelsior. Filters dont work that great in my opinion.

 

[Jonah S]

“Excelsior!” is the catchphrase of Stan Lee, who used it at the end of every "Bullpen Bulletins" column in the Marvel Comics"

Stan Lee probably has some excess.



PS) I'm sorry, I couldn't resist

 

[Monkeykungphu]

“Excelsior!” is the catchphrase of Stan Lee, who used it at the end of every "Bullpen Bulletins" column in the Marvel Comics"

Stan Lee probably has some excess.



PS) I'm sorry, I couldn't resist

I always thought it was a really exotic name for some stuff that looked like hay!