Very Simple Project Idea

[Marty]

Right forum? Apologies, if not.

I'm going to try this. We've got fleas. TheWWWisdom out there* is that fleas respond to light, to vibration, and some other things. Specifically not just light but modulating or intermittent light, as if someone tasty was walking by. I've got the gel cell lying around so I think I'm going to program an LED to blink off once per minute or so for 5 seconds. The URL suggests 10 minutes on, 5 seconds off but I'm both impatient even when sleeping as well as, honestly, I think I know better :- ) . If I were to incorporate warmth I think I'd want a better power source, and warm the plate of water underneath. I think I'll completely annoy TheBoss and run wires all over and set several traps. Hopefully I'll drown more fleas than trip people***. If I ran a kennel or something more than a coupla flea-bitten cats or had a school-age kid** I think I'd try doing comparative studies on the effects of cycle time, warmth and vibration****. CO2 generator might be a bit trickier. Maybe a CO2 cartridge and a paladium leak or something? Gee, this could grow into something better than a BrewBuddy!

*: http://fleascience.com/flea-encyclopedia/life-cycle-of-fleas/adult-fleas/what-attrats-fleas/

**: Not that school-age kids are necessarily good sources of fleas. Just that this would make a great science fair project.

***: No, I'm _NOT_ saying Flea Lives Matter anywhere near on par with people lives. I hope I'll kill a whole _Bunch_ of fleas for every people life I endanger.

****: https://www.adafruit.com/products/1201

 

[Jake]

Try looking up bed bug traps. One of the techniques is to get a one litre pop bottle and fill it 3/4 full of sugar water. Make sure there is a lot of sugar, since it is the carbon source for CO2. About a cup of sugar if I remember. Then mix water, sugar and yeast in a cup. Pour this mixture in the bottle as well. Drill a very small hole in the cap and put the cap back on. Put a plastic bag around the pop bottle to direct the CO2 generated downward. Put the pop bottle CO2 generator into a bowl. Make sure that the outside of the bowl is climbable but put talcum powder (baby powder) on the inside of the bowl to make it too slippery to climb out. Maybe some diatomatious earth in the bottom to act as swords.

Now I am wondering how we can integrate the teensy to control the CO2 production. Maybe heat or cool the pop bottle CO2 generator. Or maybe just wrap the light around it? There must be some way to make the teensy essential. I think I need help from the forum to figure it out.