Your moth trap set up (3 Viewers)

[Adam M]

Just out of interest does anybody buy their egg boxes from the internet?
I know they are free, if you eat enough eggs, I have been saving them all winter but a few showers have caught me out and left me with soggy boxes on several occasions.
Online you can get 75 half dozen boxes for about 10 pounds. Anyone do this and if so which sites have you found best value for money etc?
Wish this nagging North Easterly would stop soon, its been dire here in Kent the past few nights!

I got mine from my local butcher/slaughter house (it's one of them farm, slaughter house, butchers all in one places) They told me to take as many egg boxes as I wanted. I took about 6, each holding 24 eggs. Might be worth asking you local butcher, other than that try your local greasy spoon, maybe the cafe in places like Asda or Tesco is worth a try when you next go shopping.

The other thing I used when I first started was the bumpy bits of carboard out of boxes of apples (free if you ask in a supermarket). I don't use them now, only if some of my egg boxes are accidently left out and get soggy. They are great for shifting a moth on to though to take a picture.

Adam

 

[Andy1979]

This seems to be the best thread to post on. I usually move my trap around the garden, but have noticed recently that if I put my trap against a fence, I trap as many moths as when I put it in the middle of the garden, but I also get all the extras that didn't go in, sitting on the fence itself. In the last two nights this has lead to the following moths I would have otherwise not seen:

Tree-lichen Beauty
Black Arches
Lime-speck Pug
Plain Pug
Double-striped Pug
Willow Beauty (lots).

Do most people trap next to a fence/wall or go for open space to let the light be seen from a wider area?

 

[Dmacaskill]

I move my trap to a different area of the garden each time ,sometimes i put the trap in the middle of the lawn on a large white sheet anything that doesn`t make it into the trap is easily seen and potted up for id or put into the trap for release later.I also put my trap next to the gable end of my house which is whitewashed making it easy to see moths on the wall and is sheltered from the prevailing wind. I would say that i get good results either way , also i use a skinner trap and often get moths hidden in the framework of the trap on the outside.

 

[Surreybirder]

I do the same - i.e. try different positions. I've not really made a study of the effects but, in general, I'd say that having it next to the greenhouse seems to favour some species which like to perch in an upright pose (e.g. merveille du jour). And some species like red underwing and old lady sometimes seem to deliberately park themselves in shade near the trap (e.g. behind the wheelbarrow). When I have the trap nearer the hedge I get more micros. (It's a mixed hedge of privet, bramble, rose, hawthorn, cypress etc.)
Ken

 

[antshrike69]

Ben.

If you go to the kitchen/store door of any hotel or restaurant and ask for egg trays, it's most likely anyone there will be happy to let you have them. They hold two dozen eggs. Cut them in half, perfect, much better than egg boxes. I've heard of some using acoustic foam in place of egg boxes in their traps, I haven't tried it so can't comment on it.

Twite.

Agreed - they are much easier to check than egg boxes too. Recently, I needed more egg trays so went to the local gastropub and harvester. Both happily gave me all the empty trays they had. Saves their bins at the end of the day.

 

[The Hairy Highlander]

Being situated in an area overlooked by houses at the back and to one side I'm restricted to pretty much one spot, I have a small 3' fence that runs down the length of the garden separating the grass and the chipped area, and joins the dividing 6' fence between us and the neighbours, were the two fences meet creating a corner I drape a white sheet over the 3' fence and place the trap (125MV) tight to it. It prevents the light shining on both the neighbours at the back and the neighbours at the side....sorted!!

 

[honeym]

It's interesting to read other people's comments on egg boxes/trays/

Personally, I prefer standard half-dozen eggs boxes for the simple reason that there are too many moths on an egg tray (even half tray) and I end up losing too many during the time it takes to identify everything and pot up the ones I can't.

I do, however, make sure that the trap is full of egg boxes - apart from directly under the funnel.

Martin

 

[Adam M]

I am thinking of making a robinsons trap with an actinic bulb. Just wondering what size container to go for? And what diameter funnel? Just a rough idea will do, not after exact scientifically proven specs or anything.

I am going to be doing some trapping away from mains electricity and this seems the best way to do it, well without using generators.

Adam

 

[woodpeckerwacko]

I've noticed some people are using clear plexiglass/glass as the top, square part. I'd like to know if that creates an advantage over a solid colored "roof".
Also what bulb do you think is the best?
I've only been using a roughly 1 gallon tub with a paper funnel and a few pieces of egg carton in it attatched to an outdoor light by a string, so I think this set-up can definetly be improved.

 

[mothman]

I've noticed some people are using clear plexiglass/glass as the top, square part. I'd like to know if that creates an advantage over a solid colored "roof".
Also what bulb do you think is the best?
I've only been using a roughly 1 gallon tub with a paper funnel and a few pieces of egg carton in it attatched to an outdoor light by a string, so I think this set-up can definetly be improved.

Hi Woodpeckerwacko.

A transparent top is essential as it makes the moths go into daylight mode and settle down to rest.

If they are kept in the dark they will continue to flutter around in nocturnal mode and will appear very worn and battered by the morning.

As for the bulb there is no question that a 125 watt Mercury vapour brings in the biggest yeald, however any bulb or striplight with a high UV output will work well.

Having said that even a 100watt halogen household bulb will pull in many species.

 

[Bennyboymothman]

It depends how much of your catch you want to retain.

I disagree with the clear top and changed to a spray painted black one, primarily for the reason that with a clear top, the moths can still see and be attracted to the light, thus fluttering around trying to reach it and on instances escaping.

I noticed a 20% increase in my catch rate after spraying the lid, and over 3 years never had any tatty moths.

Obviously if you are in attendance purely observing or at a public event then a clear top is essential to keep the interest going.

 

[mothman]

It depends how much of your catch you want to retain.

I disagree with the clear top and changed to a spray painted black one, primarily for the reason that with a clear top, the moths can still see and be attracted to the light, thus fluttering around trying to reach it and on instances escaping.

I noticed a 20% increase in my catch rate after spraying the lid, and over 3 years never had any tatty moths.

Obviously if you are in attendance purely observing or at a public event then a clear top is essential to keep the interest going.

Hi Bennyboymothman.

Im afraid you are pretty much on your own on that personal theory.

Every piece of literature I have ever seen dating back as far as the 1950s to the modern day states the reason for a trasparent top is to put the moths into daylight setting.

The attractiveness of light to a moth is relative to the amount of light that a moth is experiencing at the time, so if it is in darkness it will fly towards light.

However if it is in light it will soon settle down and 'sleep'.

If moths were attracted to bright light during daylight, surely mass extinction would occcur as every moth made its way towards the sun.!!

 

[Bennyboymothman]

I'm just going on personal experience that is all, attending traps i've witnessed many moths keep flying at the light and then escaping even using the robinson. I now have replaced both clear cones for metal ones and the results have improved.

Sunlight is a different UV spectrum hence why they do not fly towards the sun or moon, that and the thought of being eaten by birds and animals probably puts them off a tadge.

 

[mothman]

I'm just going on personal experience that is all, attending traps i've witnessed many moths keep flying at the light and then escaping even using the robinson. I now have replaced both clear cones for metal ones and the results have improved.

Sunlight is a different UV spectrum hence why they do not fly towards the sun or moon, that and the thought of being eaten by birds and animals probably puts them off a tadge.

My sun comment was a quip(hence the wink) and not intended to be taken seriously.

On the main point, this quote from the amateur entomologists society handbook on mothtraps and their use by Fry and Waring page 21 should clear up all your points:Quote:

"Moth traps should have transparent or semi transparent panels or components of the box to allowthe moths to continue to see the light.

in this way they may initially attempt to escape through these,rather than finding the real exit.

After a short timethe moths cease escape attempts and come to rest.

At this point,if in a lighted environment,their eyes cease to remain in the dark-adapted state they adopt for night flying and revert to daytime condition and the moths settle down to roost.

This stage can be recognised because the eyes are no longer reflective to torchlight.

Moths will sit in this state undamaged, untill the trap is examined in the morning,by which time they have cooled down to such an extent that the larger ones are unable to fly without first warming up." :Unquote:

 

[turkish van]

This might be a daft question but......

Does it not affect the moths if they don't feed for a whole night?

 

[mothman]

This might be a daft question but......

Does it not affect the moths if they don't feed for a whole night?

Hi Laura.

Not a daft question at all!

No harm will come in just one night but the code of conduct set by the AES asks Moth-ers to only trap on ALTERNATE nights, to prevent the same individuals being trapped time and time again, thus stopping them from feeding mating and ovipositing.

 

[Tri-Counties Birder]

This might be a daft question but......

Does it not affect the moths if they don't feed for a whole night?

Its worth adding that many adult moths may feed very little, or not at all in some cases, during thier lives, but instead rely on the fat reserves they built up as larvae. So, I would have thought a night or two without any food at all is pretty normal for most species.

 

[Surreybirder]

i came across this handbook on moth-trapping on the Moths Count website... worth a read for anyone who is not too familiar with the subject...
http://www.mothscount.org/uploads/Moth_Recorders_Handbook_2009.pdf
Ken

 

[Scholekster]

Just out of interest does anybody buy their egg boxes from the internet?[/QUOTE
While I was given some by an egg seller I did buy a lot of full trays from the internet. That means I have loads, which I give away from time to time to other moth-ers.

 

[rob lee]

Hi all,
Just putting the finishing touches to my new 40w actinic trap which i intend to run off of a battery when i get an inverter, then i can leave it unattended away from home overnight, wouldnt want to risk that with my generator, let alone the noise factor. It`ll be interesting to see how it compares to my MV setup. As many of you know, actinics are quite often said to outperform MV lamps early in the season as well as attract some species not often drawn in by them.