Guest guest Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 leabathe wrote: how can I keep out these pesky fruitflies and maggots? Hi ... my name is betty, and I have been on the Kombucha list for some years now. The cheesecloth is the problem. You need a more tightly woven cloth or covering. I use a regular cotton dishtowel, and have never had a problem. I live in Georgia, so we have quite a number of pests that would love to invade my kombucha. I am at a loss to tell you about whether to keep the SCOBYs. I am a bit squeamish, and would have thrown out the whole thing. --------------------------------- How low will we go? Check out Yahoo! Messenger’s low PC-to-Phone call rates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 thank you for your advice! darn cheese cloth! i will switch to dish towel would love opinions on whether or not to throw out scoby. thanks!! leah how can I keep out these pesky fruitflies and maggots? > > Hi ... my name is betty, and I have been on the Kombucha list for some years now. The cheesecloth is the problem. You need a more tightly woven cloth or covering. I use a regular cotton dishtowel, and have never had a problem. I live in Georgia, so we have quite a number of pests that would love to invade my kombucha. > > I am at a loss to tell you about whether to keep the SCOBYs. I am a bit squeamish, and would have thrown out the whole thing. > > > > > > --------------------------------- > How low will we go? Check out Yahoo! Messenger's low PC-to-Phone call rates. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 >im not sure how the little white worms got on my scoby but they did >i covered my jar with 4 layers of cheese cloth and secured it with a >rubber band but somehow >these little guys got in. As was already mentioned, even 4 layers of cheesecloth won't work because the flies are persistent and just work their way through each layer, the weave is so loose they have no trouble getting through it. When sites or SCOBY sellers give the information to use cheesecloth, I view that as a serious error. > i have thrown out the brew but not my 2 scobys that were in the >batch. i have cleaned both thoroughly but should i throw them out >too? right now i have them sitting in white vinegar. Here is what Margret wrote a while back (I saved it because it's such a great sentiment): >Fortunately I've never had this happen to any of my brews, but from >testinonials over the years, I gather, that fruitflies consider the >scoby a worthy sort of breeding ground....good taste those blighters >have. Sooooo, IF they manage to get at a brew that isn't covered, >the flies lay their eggs on a scoby. When they hatch you got little >maggots (white or black depending on the kind) which start merrily chomping >away at the scoby until they hatch into fruitflies again. > >The moral of the story is: Never leave your brew uncovered, especially >when there are fruitflies buzzing around. > >My personal opinion is that the brew itself would probably not be affected >by these parasites (we live with more parasitic beings all around us and >in us than we care to imagine) without it affecting our health. Some of >these might even be beneficial for us ;-) > >So, IMO, it is good to take sensible precautions during the brewing process, >but guard against becoming paranoid. >Life isn't all that tidy and super hygienic and neatly parcelled as the >TV adverts make it out to be, but quite sloshy and sloppy and gory and >unpredictable ... fun really :-) The maggots are not themselves generating anything toxic, I do not believe. Whichever SCOBY was underneath (not on top) should be free of any fly activity. The upper SCOBY may have eggs in/on it (not sure if the eggs are visible). I'd suggest using the underneath SCOBY to brew with, and letting the other SCOBY sit in vinegar and keep an eye on it. If nothing further hatches, then you can use that SCOBY again. If maggots are going to appear again on the SCOBY you're brewing with (the underneath one), they'll show up before your brew is ready. If they do, then I should think you might want to throw everything out and start over. hope this helps. --V ~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~ --A.J. Muste Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 In message <e23g1l+95qheGroups> you wrote: > thank you for your advice! darn cheese cloth! > i will switch to dish towel > would love opinions on whether or not to throw out scoby. Leah, I would probably be inclined to throw the infected scoby away. It is actually a food source for the fruitfly maggots... they have good taste, you see! I should thoroughly strain the rest of the KT liquid and make a new batch just using the liquid, with a really good solid cover on top held on by a very strong elastic or rubber band. You will find that a new scoby will form on top eventually, if left undisturbed and you can carry on your Kombucha tonic. Let us know how you go! Blessings without maggots ;-) Margret -- +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Minstrel@... <)))<>< http://www.therpc.f9.co.uk <)))<>< http://www.AnswersInGenesis.com http://www.elijahlist.com +---------------------------------------------------------------+ A Saviour not quite God is a bridge broken at the Fa®ther end.~~Bishop Handley Moule Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 wow this is great! thanks so much makes me feel a lot better about the intruders -leah > > > >im not sure how the little white worms got on my scoby but they did > >i covered my jar with 4 layers of cheese cloth and secured it with a > >rubber band but somehow > >these little guys got in. > > As was already mentioned, even 4 layers of cheesecloth won't work because > the flies are persistent and just work their way through each layer, the > weave is so loose they have no trouble getting through it. When sites or > SCOBY sellers give the information to use cheesecloth, I view that as a > serious error. > > > i have thrown out the brew but not my 2 scobys that were in the > >batch. i have cleaned both thoroughly but should i throw them out > >too? right now i have them sitting in white vinegar. > > Here is what Margret wrote a while back (I saved it because it's such a > great sentiment): > > >Fortunately I've never had this happen to any of my brews, but from > >testinonials over the years, I gather, that fruitflies consider the > >scoby a worthy sort of breeding ground....good taste those blighters > >have. Sooooo, IF they manage to get at a brew that isn't covered, > >the flies lay their eggs on a scoby. When they hatch you got little > >maggots (white or black depending on the kind) which start merrily chomping > >away at the scoby until they hatch into fruitflies again. > > > >The moral of the story is: Never leave your brew uncovered, especially > >when there are fruitflies buzzing around. > > > >My personal opinion is that the brew itself would probably not be affected > >by these parasites (we live with more parasitic beings all around us and > >in us than we care to imagine) without it affecting our health. Some of > >these might even be beneficial for us ;-) > > > >So, IMO, it is good to take sensible precautions during the brewing process, > >but guard against becoming paranoid. > >Life isn't all that tidy and super hygienic and neatly parcelled as the > >TV adverts make it out to be, but quite sloshy and sloppy and gory and > >unpredictable ... fun really :-) > > The maggots are not themselves generating anything toxic, I do not > believe. Whichever SCOBY was underneath (not on top) should be free of any > fly activity. The upper SCOBY may have eggs in/on it (not sure if the eggs > are visible). I'd suggest using the underneath SCOBY to brew with, and > letting the other SCOBY sit in vinegar and keep an eye on it. If nothing > further hatches, then you can use that SCOBY again. > > If maggots are going to appear again on the SCOBY you're brewing with (the > underneath one), they'll show up before your brew is ready. If they do, > then I should think you might want to throw everything out and start over. > > hope this helps. > > --V > > > > ~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~ > --A.J. Muste > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 I see that Margret suggests not using the sCOBY and using the liquid, but I know that you've already disposed of the liquid. I do think that simply observing the SCOBYs for a few days will tell you whether or not you have an ongoing problem or not. The eggs hatch 24-30 hours after being laid, so it will not take long for you to know if your SCOBYs are in the clear or not. I found the following link about these flies, which gives directions for a homemade fruit fly trap using a mason jar. Since folks have asked about traps in the past, thought I'd send this long: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2109.html Needless to say, I *do NOT* recommend trying to spray insecticide for the flies. The cultures would die and you'd be poisoning yourself. --V ~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~ --A.J. Muste Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 Hi Sad, I am sorry, I know I probly should not make light of your problem, but I read recently in the survalist yahoo group about maggots being used in the military to clean wounds. So it cannot be all that bad. I maggot is cleaner then the fly if I am understanding correctly, and they actualy ate them to survive! Lucky you don't need to, so do try to cheer up. -Audrey <snippet> > im not sure how the little white worms got on my scoby but they did : ( > > > -sad in los angeles > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 You know they actualy have bug cookbooks also! Oh, yes, forgot about the dung. sorry. -Audrey <snippet> > problem to be prevented; the flies themselves may track disease because > they sometimes (some species) feed on dung and then on fruit or vinegar, > tracking dung organisms with them. So it's important to avoid them getting > into the brew to begin with. > > --V > > > > ~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~ > --A.J. Muste > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 Well as long as they don't " Bleed " us to death like in the olden days. -Audrey <snippet> Both are now cultivated in pharmaceutical labs, specifically as > " medical " leeches and maggots, specifically known to not themselves be > disease vectors. > > --V > > > > ~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~ > --A.J. Muste > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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