Table 2.
Equipment and supplies needed to initiate a laboratory sand fly colony.
| Item | U.S./International Vendor | Item No. | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| light traps, batteries, bulbs, wires | John Hock Co., Inc., Gainesville, FL | 1012 | programable operation with photo-cell on/off switch |
| collection nets (double-ring type) | John Hock Co., Inc., Gainesville, FL | 1.45 | or custom made |
| mouth aspirators with HEPA filter | John Hock Co., Inc., Gainesville, FL | 612 | or custom made |
| 1-pint (475-ml) collection cups | Amazon.com; various sources | custom modified to make temporary holding containers | |
| flashlights or headlamps | various sources | ||
| Holding cages (fabric or plastic) | Precision Plastics, Beltsville, MD; | or custom-made by local fabricator | |
| oviposition vials w/snap-on plastic lids | various local sources | custom made w/filter paper insert or plaster layer in bottom | |
| fabric-mesh for closing vials and pots | various local sources | mesh at least 21 holes/linear cm | |
| small plastic bottle for sugar solution | various local sources | for sugar meals for adult flies; can substitute apple slices | |
| cotton balls | various local sources | for delivering sugar meals to adults | |
| colored labeling tape | Fisher Scientific | for labeling collecting cups, oviposition vials, etc. | |
| elastic bands | various local sources | assorted sizes; heavy-duty large to make holding cups | |
| marking pens | various local sources | assorted colors | |
| large heavy-duty plastic bags | various local sources | to envelope collecting nets and cages to maintain high humidity | |
| plastic storage boxes | various local sources | for transporting oviposition vials and other holding containers | |
| sponges | various local sources | to moisten and maintain humidity in plastic bags & storage boxes | |
| field microscopes (stero and compound) | various sources | for examination and identification of sand flies | |
| microscope slides and cover slips | Bioquip or various local sources | for examination and identification of sand flies | |
| jeweler's forceps | Bioquip or various local sources | for handling individual sand flies | |
| minuten nadeln/pins | Bioquip or various local sources | for making dissectin needles | |
| wooden applicator sticks | Carolina Biologica | 706865 | |
| cooler box or insulatef bag | various local sources | to maintain cool temp. and humidity during transport | |
| Mouth aspirator with 0.3 um HEPA filter | John Hock Co., Inc., Gainesville, FL | 612 | |
| 125-ml Nalgene® straigth-sided jars/pots | Van Waters and Rogers International | 16129-356 | similar rigid plastic containers also work |
| 500-ml Nalgene® straigth-sided jars/pots | Van Waters and Rogers International | 16129-390 | similar rigid plastic containers will work |
| 2.54-cm plastic, perforated vent caps | ISC Plastic Parts (EU and USA) | 100700060 | vents for rearing pot lids |
| clear plastic vials with snap-on lids (10-15 ml) | United States Plastic Corp., Lima, OH | 81001, 81003, 81004 | for making isoline-rearing vials |
| 1-pint (473-ml) paper cans/cup w/lids | Science Supplies | 300 | temporary holding/transport containers |
| Dental dam( 6 × 6 green-medium) | Henry Schein Inc. | H08562 or 101-0171 | to close transfer opening on cardboard holding containers |
| Filament packing tape | Fisher Scientific Lab Equipment & Supplies | 22-367375 | for use in making temporary holding containers |
| Autoclave tape/masking tape | Fisher Scientific Lab Equipment & Supplies | 11-889-14 | various uses |
| Colored labeling tape | Fisher Scientific Lab Equipment & Supplies | varies w/color | for color coding containers |
| Bench top paper | Kimberly-Clark Professional, Roswell, GA | 7456 | for keeping bench top clean and for cage back-panel insert |
| Custom-made composting cabinet | Precision Plastics, Beltsville, MD | for making larva food | |
| Cotton balls | Fisher Scientific Lab Equipment & Supplies | 22-456-880 | for administering sugar meals |
| 1000 ml Erlenmeyer flask | Fisher Scientific Lab Equipment & Supplies | 07-250-098 | for making pipette aspirator to remove dead adults and mites |
| two-hole rubber stopper | Fisher Scientific Lab Equipment & Supplies | assorted sizes | for making pipette aspirator to remove dead adults and mites |
| 5-inch glass pasteur pipettes(12.5 cm) | Fisher Scientific Lab Equipment & Supplies | 13-678-20B | for pipette aspirator |
| Heavy-duty elastic bands | Van Waters and Rogers International | 500024-286 | for securing fabric screen over mouth of ovipots |
| Stereo microscope | various sources | to monitorimmature development | |
| Illumiantor (fiber optice with ring guide) | LW Scientific, Lawrenceville, GA | ALPA-1502 | accessory to stereo microscope |
| Compound microscope | various sources | for species identification, monitoring for pathogens | |
| Reach-in environmental chamber | Caron Products, Marietta, OH | various companies sell environmental chambers | |
| Minuten nadeln (stainless steel pins) | Bioquip Products, Inc., Rancho Dominguez, CA | 1208S | for making dissecting needles |
| Wooden applicator sticks | Fisher Scientific Lab Equipment & Supplies | 50-949-154 | for making dissecting needles |
| Nylon oragandy fine-mesh screen | various sources | at least 21 openings per linear cm | |
| Paper towels | Uline (multiple locations) | S-17461 | |
| Plaster of Paris/dental plaster, 25 lb box | Henry Schein (multiple locations) | 1450025HS | for lining bottoms of ovipostion.rearing pots |
| Portable vacuum pump | Gast (multiple international locations) | for operating vacuum aspirators in absence of built in system | |
| Rabbit feces | Spring Valley Labs | N/A | for making larva food (check local sources) |
| Rabbit food | Quality Lab Products, Elkridge, MD | 5-p25 | any reliable local source |
| Custom-made sand fly holding cages | Precision Plastics, Beltsville, MD | various sizes | check local plastic fabricators |
| Marking pens | Office Depot/Office Max+A40 | 10014156 | various colors as needed |
| Sodium hypochlorite (Clorox®) | Amazon.com | Clorox is 16.5% sodium hyphchlorite and must be dilute to 1% | |
| Soil test sieves | Hogentogler, Columbia, MD | 1309 (sieve); 8407 (pan) | No. 170 U.S.A. Standard Test Sieve (.0035 inch/90um diameter holes) |
| Spatulas | Lowes or Home Depot | 422618 | available in many stores |
| Sponges | Fisher Scientific Lab Equipment & Supplies | 14-417 | to maintain humidity in storage boxes, cages, etc. |
| Spray bottles and Squirt bottles | Fisher Scientific Lab Equipment & Supplies | 01-189-100 | for larva food prep ane egg washing procedure |
| Stockinette (20-cm diameter) | ProMed Inc., Louisville, KY | 855801-NS508 | access sleeves for cages |
| Plastic trays (45 × 65 × 7.5 cm; 18 × 26 × 3 in) | B & H, Photo & Electronics, New York, NY | CETP1417; CETP1114 | photgraphic trays for holding oviposition/rearing pots |
| Plastic storage boxes (White Rubbermaid®) | Nationwide Facility Supplies, Buffalo Grove, IL | rep3506 (tub); rep 3506 (lids) | for holding oviposition/rearing pots |
| Tubing | Fisher Scientific Lab Equipment & Supplies | 14-169-7C | for vacuum aspirators |
| Vacuum aspirator custom-made | Precision Plastics, Beltsville, MD | for transfer of bloodfed females to 500-ml pots | |
| Waterpik® Oral Irrigator | Waterpik | WAT WP-60; WP | for washing eggs to control gregarines |