ckswank
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Posts: 239
Country: USA
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Post by ckswank on Dec 28, 2015 9:38:14 GMT -8
I have a live trap light known as a "Bug-Napper". It's similar to a bug zapper, but catches small insects & has a screw on plastic collection chamber on the bottom. I think these were designed for people wishing to collect live insects to feed their frogs, lizards, etc. I had it hanging about 8 feet off the ground one night in my backyard. I went out around midnight to check it & found a rat inside the collection chamber chowing down on the insects inside. I tapped on the outside but it was too occupied eating to get out. Can't figure out how it managed to get in as the openings are only about 1/2 inch wide. It must have climbed the electrical cord to even reach it. Shut the light off for the night. It was gone the next morning.
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ckswank
Full Member
Posts: 239
Country: USA
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Post by ckswank on Dec 28, 2015 9:11:57 GMT -8
Here's a link to the annual TX A&M Entomology Dept. open house on January 9th in College Station. It's free & open to anyone with an interest in Entomology. I've attended this event for the past several years & have found it quite beneficial. Hope to see you there. entomology.tamu.edu/event/2016-tamu-insect-collection-open-house/Charlie
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ckswank
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Posts: 239
Country: USA
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Post by ckswank on Dec 2, 2015 22:40:14 GMT -8
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ckswank
Full Member
Posts: 239
Country: USA
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Post by ckswank on Dec 2, 2015 22:10:52 GMT -8
I went to east central Illinois back in July this year to see friends & family. While spending two nights at my cousin's place, I set up a sheet & lights to collect. On Monday morning I packed everything in my rental car & headed to my son's place near St. Louis. Spent the night & was getting ready to head back home to Texas. Low & behold, no net! I called my cousin & sure enough, I left it setting on his back porch where we had set up the lights. I would have left it except I paid about $150.00 for it. Got in the car & backtracked 120 miles to go get it since I wanted to do some collecting on the way home.
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ckswank
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Posts: 239
Country: USA
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Post by ckswank on Nov 8, 2015 20:02:14 GMT -8
Thanks for sharing. Very nice pictures. BTW, I've never met a potato I didn't like! LOL
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ckswank
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Posts: 239
Country: USA
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Post by ckswank on Jun 12, 2015 22:01:26 GMT -8
I've never seen them go after bats, but there are several barred owls that visit the area near one of the outlying gas stations where I collect at night. I often see them perching on nearby traffic signs & have managed to get about 10 feet away from them. I've tried to take pictures with my point & shoot camera, but it doesn't do to well in the dark. They have such a hair raising call! I'll never forget the first time hearing them while camping in Louisiana. Here's a link to a Youtube video with the calls: .
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ckswank
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Posts: 239
Country: USA
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Post by ckswank on Mar 2, 2015 0:02:37 GMT -8
Down a few paragraphs in the article, it mentions the wavelengths that can be produced. 365 nano-meters is supposed to be the optimum for at least moths. I had a small flashlight with these type of LEDs (about 10-12) that did draw in a few moths. To be effective, I would imagine you would have to use one with 100+ LED bulbs, similar to the ones they use in traffic signal lights now. Those things are bright!
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ckswank
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Posts: 239
Country: USA
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Post by ckswank on Mar 1, 2015 23:37:19 GMT -8
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ckswank
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Posts: 239
Country: USA
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Post by ckswank on Feb 8, 2015 20:05:53 GMT -8
Hello, Claude. I live in Dickinson, about 50 miles south of where David lives. I've known him & collected with him numerous times over the past few years. I actually first made contact with him here on Insectnet back in 2006. Plenty of good & diverse habitats in this area of SE Texas. Hope to get to meet you while you are here.
Charlie
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ckswank
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Posts: 239
Country: USA
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Post by ckswank on Feb 3, 2015 23:03:25 GMT -8
I'd like to echo the sentiments of the other members' post as well. The death of a loved one, especially a spouse, is never easy. My wife & I just passed our 31st wedding anniversary this past December. We are both in our 60s & I can't imagine her not being with me. May you find peace as you and your daughters continue life's journey.
Charlie
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ckswank
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Posts: 239
Country: USA
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Post by ckswank on Dec 21, 2014 23:34:15 GMT -8
Unfortunately, it fell victim to dermestid beetles about 10 years ago and I had not taken any pictures of it. I had stopped collecting about 1975 & left my collection at my folks house in Illinois when I moved to Houston in 1981. I always checked on it when I returned home for visits about once a year. For some reason, no pests had done any damage over the years. Might have been due to the heavy use of moth balls in all of the closets in the house! After my dad died in 1999, I moved the collection here to Houston a couple of years later. Within just a couple of years, I lost nearly all of my specimens to dermestids. Thinking I wasn't going to be doing any more collecting, I sold the cabinet & the 18 Cornell sized drawers on eBay in 2006. Seeing it packed up & leaving is what rekindled my interest in collecting.
Charlie
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ckswank
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Posts: 239
Country: USA
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Post by ckswank on Dec 20, 2014 19:55:26 GMT -8
The insect collecting hobby has been full of memorable & exciting moments over the years. I fondly remember catching common Cabbage Whites (P. rapae) & Common Sulfurs (C.philodice) in my backyard when I was around six years old. This is probably one of my most favorite catches, Thysania zenobia. I was 18 at the time. I was fortunate enough to catch another one in Damon, TX on September 11, 2000, nearly 39 years later. Really gets the heart pounding! images.peabody.yale.edu/lepsoc/jls/1970s/1972/1972-26%283%29196-Swank.pdfCharlie
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ckswank
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Posts: 239
Country: USA
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Post by ckswank on Dec 19, 2014 23:56:19 GMT -8
I believe many of the larger scarabs and cerambycids will feed on fruit and/or tree sap.
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ckswank
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Posts: 239
Country: USA
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Post by ckswank on Dec 19, 2014 23:11:48 GMT -8
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ckswank
Full Member
Posts: 239
Country: USA
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Post by ckswank on Jul 20, 2014 19:50:22 GMT -8
I ordered & received my copy a couple of days ago. Well worth the price for my needs.
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