Moth trapping - Advice sought.

[beachlover]

A friend and I are looking to buy a decent moth trap with a view to surveying what's about and learning more about them. Does anyone else do this and does anyone have any recommendations as to decent traps? At the moment we are looking at a trap from Watkins and Doncaster as my friend has felt with them before, but open to any suggestions and advice.

 

[Robson Valley]

1. Best bait here is 1 tsp active yeast + 2 tbsp brown sugar + 1 tbsp molasses (treacle) mixed in 1 liter of warm water.
Paint at head height on lamp posts.

2. Hang up a white bed sheet on a warm calm night. Hang a bright light about 18"/45cm away from one side and wait.
Forage along any bright security lights.

If you can make a serious collection, so much the better, many of the larvae are unknown but that's far less of an issue in the UK
than it is in western Canada. The biologies are just better understood than over here.
I did just that in my Biology prof capacity, many years ago.
Moths tend to "drop away" in flight from a roost. Put the jar below them and your open hand above them.
In a collection, they actually bleach(?) or fade over the years. Disappointing.
PLUS, you 're looking at the biggest and most diverse group of the Lepidoptera with untold numbers of new species to be named!

Be prepared to be criticized and sworn at, during all hours of the night as you leap around with your nets and jars.

 

[Broch]

I am in the process of building my own trap based on different colour bright LED's chosen for specific light wavelengths that moths are known to be attracted to, including UV, based on the link below. The total cost so far is about £15. I won't be able to tell you how well it works until later in the season though

https://petermobbs.wordpress.com/2015/05/09/a-better-moth-trap-using-leds/

 

[beachlover]

I am in the process of building my own trap based on different colour bright LED's chosen for specific light wavelengths that moths are known to be attracted to, including UV, based on the link below. The total cost so far is about £15. I won't be able to tell you how well it works until later in the season though

https://petermobbs.wordpress.com/2015/05/09/a-better-moth-trap-using-leds/

Thanks for the reply. We considered doing this too and even bought the appropriate LED lamp, but for several reasons, the most relevant being that my friend is terminally ill, we have decided to go down the "buy it rather than build it" approach to try to rule out the hit and miss, time consuming bit and were wondering if there were ready made alternatives to the £200 trap at W&D and also if anyone had the W&D trap or indeed any other options which they would recommend.

https://www.watdon.co.uk/acatalog/E749-robinson-moth-trap.html#SID=10

We'd still be interested to see how you get on though. It's reassuring to know that there is at least one other on here who is interested in this pursuit.

 

[chas brookes]

Hi Kevin
these people may be of interest
https://www.angleps.com/mothtraps.php

 

[beachlover]

Hi Kevin
these people may be of interest
https://www.angleps.com/mothtraps.php

Thanks Chas. I knew there must be somewhere selling the Skinner setups!

 

[chas brookes]

Hi Kevin
this programme which was on tonight may be of interest as has an interesting piece on moth trapping ;-)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b09s2s46/hughs-wild-west-series-1-episode-6

 

[beachlover]

Hi Kevin
this programme which was on tonight may be of interest as has an interesting piece on moth trapping ;-)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b09s2s46/hughs-wild-west-series-1-episode-6

Thanks Chas. I’ve actually recorded this series, but have yet to watch this episode.

 

[chas brookes]

Thanks Chas. I’ve actually recorded this series, but have yet to watch this episode.

Its been a brilliant series so far ;-)

 

[beachlover]

Its been a brilliant series so far ;-)

I agree. I’ve never had much time for Mr Furry-Whippingstool, but whoever his research and production team were for this series, they have found some really interesting characters and amateur naturalists and either Hugh has found himself comfortable in this new genre, or his team has told him to be less in our faces and allow the others and their work to shine.

 

[bearbait]

Came across this (richardbeckerphotography.co.uk/led-moth-trap) today. There's a link to part 2 of his post on that page.

Hope you find it useful.

 

[beachlover]

Came across this (richardbeckerphotography.co.uk/led-moth-trap) today. There's a link to part 2 of his post on that page.

Hope you find it useful.

Thanks for that. we bought a large, mains powered LED unit from China when we were contemplating building a Skinner moth trap along these lines,
https://www.nhbs.com/equipment/skin...Moth Traps > Skinner Moth Traps&qtview=212941

I’m sure those little efficient LEDs will become the standard soon enough, but for now it’s looking like we are opting for a mains powered actinic tube in a commercially available and weatherproof unit. Cost wise, the whole thing comes to about a hundred quid, limits the expenditure of time faffing about and as we both live in semi rural locations and my friend isn’t that mobile, our own back gardens should give us a good enough yield.

I’ll update this once ours has arrived and we’ve had a play with it.

 

[chas brookes]

Hi Kevin
just wondered if you had used your moth trap yet
Chas

 

[beachlover]

Hi Kevin
just wondered if you had used your moth trap yet
Chas

Hi Chas,
Unfortunately, the day the trap arrived my friend was towed off to hospital and after a range of interventions is still too ill to have even opened the box it came in and I doubt he ever will now. I'm not known for my tact, but even I reckon it would be a bit heartless to crack on and get it going, or ask if I can take it away while he is as good as on his deathbed. Assuming things don't reach a conclusion beforehand, I'm planning on getting one of my own in mid-June when I get back from a jaunt to Ireland and I'll let you know how I get on.

 

[chas brookes]

Hi Chas,
Unfortunately, the day the trap arrived my friend was towed off to hospital and after a range of interventions is still too ill to have even opened the box it came in and I doubt he ever will now. I'm not known for my tact, but even I reckon it would be a bit heartless to crack on and get it going, or ask if I can take it away while he is as good as on his deathbed. Assuming things don't reach a conclusion beforehand, I'm planning on getting one of my own in mid-June when I get back from a jaunt to Ireland and I'll let you know how I get on.

Hi Kevin
sorry to hear your pal is not good
Hope you have a good jaunt to Ireland
Chas

 

[Robson Valley]

beachlover/Kevin: You have a lot of guts to attend to your terminally ill friend. Hard to watch them go down.
Hell of a thing = hurry up and wait and wait. I admire your strength.
I was a caregiver twice. Both times they dodged the bullet.