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Post by joniverson on Sept 4, 2019 15:34:02 GMT -8
Pop up hamper changed out for new DIY bait trap as of 9-4-19. See top post.
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Post by joniverson on Sept 5, 2019 17:47:13 GMT -8
Some rather bad news with my car today, an unfortunate and unwanted expense at this time to get it up and running. Rather than sulking, I decided to try and move one of my pulleys as high as I could. It took a lot of effort (three large branches had to be cut away and all I have is a manual pole tree saw), but I should now be able to raise one trap 25-30 feet. I know this can have benefits in certain areas of the world, but not sure it will in PA.
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Post by joniverson on Sept 7, 2019 8:05:22 GMT -8
Well, thankfully, all traps survived the hurricane! Well, not a hurricane for Philadelphia. It stayed far enough off the coast that all I got were occasional gusts, which were still enough that I lowered all traps to just inches above ground. Bait was returned to the traps this AM from the refrigerator. I like that method of temporary storage in situations like this.
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Post by joniverson on Sept 13, 2019 16:46:23 GMT -8
Latest improvements this week:
1) Came up with a hand held bug zapper. I can now zap hornets and other unwanted critters in my traps. In some cases, I can zap without even opening the trap. Looks similar to a stun gun except much smaller. If there's enough requests, I'll post the device and modifications in a different thread. Ultra cheap. Works!
2) I now have lines running from the ground to the base of the traps. With the higher winds I've had recently, the amount of swing I was seeing, especially in the fiberglass behemoth trap, was becoming disturbing. The lines are tied to a weight on the ground on one side and then hooked to the trap base on the other. Line tensioners are used to adjust tension between weight and trap base. I also switched out almost all monofilament line to dacron line for more peace of mind. The dacron is UV proof, so was happy about that. I did keep short sections of the 80 lb test monofilament near the trap to discourage ants as I think the 1/8" thick dacron would have been an open invitation.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Sept 14, 2019 5:03:35 GMT -8
I have said this before, and I will repeat it again.
If you want to keep Ants and Mice and other critters that will consume your bait and/or entrapped insects. Try some of the following.
The tether line is the access route to the bait. Mix tobasco sauce and Vasoline. Apply the mixture to the tether line. Ants will not attempt tracking over the mixture, mice will, however, and when they do, they hit the ground running, rolling digging into the ground attempting to get the hot gooey mixture off of their paws.
Another method that is not as messy and just as effective. Tie a large knot in the tether line about a foot or more above the trap. Poke a hole in the center of a saucer size plastic dish. Slide the plastic saucer down to the knot. Mice will not tangle with the saucer.
Ants can be a major problem. If you do not like the hot sauce vasoline method, purchase a can of Raid insecticide and spray a good coat of 6 to 8 inches of the rope. Ants will not cross over the insecticide.
If your trap fills with flies and hornets, remove the bait container from the trap and all of the Lepidoptera if possible and spray the cylinder with Raid or any other insecticides. I would bet some serious coin that I have killed a couple million flies over the past 40 years of Bait Trapping.
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Post by joniverson on Sept 14, 2019 6:45:39 GMT -8
Thanks for the advice, but since I always keep monofilament running to critical parts of the traps, I've never had a critter problem. As I said prior, yesterday I replaced all but two foot sections of the lines with the Dacron. I knew the Dacron by itself would be inviting, so that's why I kept sections of monofilament in place.
With my traps, I picked up the strongest monofilament I could find locally, which was 80 lb test. It will decay slightly in full sun, but even so the monofilament I had strung three years ago was still good enough to fully support the behemoth when I first erected it. Just as a precaution, I will replace the monofilament sections every other year that is assuming I still have an interest in the hobby by then. Dacron should be good for many years. None of my traps get full sun and partial at most, so that will definitely further cut UV degradation.
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Post by joniverson on Sept 20, 2019 13:22:56 GMT -8
Today, it was time to say goodbye to the behemoth and Mr. Red. With the cooling temps and the fact that I am seeing less and less leps, I felt it was time to take all down but Mr. White (top picture in this thread). I'll retain that one for maybe three to six weeks yet just to see what I get. I've been leaving it open at night too, not every night, but when I have I have usually found at least one Underwing or Sphinx the next morning.
The traps have done well, considering I built and erected them all in late July. I have only had one disappointment. A couple of times, a Viceroy visited both Mr. Red & Mr. White, but flew back out the same way it flew in. That's before I modified the traps with the slotted containers. By the time the slotted ones were in place, I didn't see it anymore. Sort of hoping it will visit before Mr. White is finally put away.
Thanks again to all for the helpful advice and tips regarding traps, bait, etc. Although I'm pretty much drawing this thread to a close, the mothing thread I will keep active for some time yet.
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Post by joniverson on Sept 23, 2019 15:09:32 GMT -8
Actually, not quite closing yet. I still have one trap up and I'm trying to keep it active with bait. I have a question. Has anyone ever tried using rotting fish in their trap as bait? The reason I ask is because Papilio glaucus never come to the traps, but I just saw a photograph of a rotting fish along a pond and about a dozen of them around it. Just wondered if using the fish would lure them to the trap.
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Post by Paul K on Sept 23, 2019 21:28:00 GMT -8
Actually, not quite closing yet. I still have one trap up and I'm trying to keep it active with bait. I have a question. Has anyone ever tried using rotting fish in their trap as bait? The reason I ask is because Papilio glaucus never come to the traps, but I just saw a photograph of a rotting fish along a pond and about a dozen of them around it. Just wondered if using the fish would lure them to the trap. Papilionidae will not come to rotting fish in the trap, they are strictly mud puddling sipping salts/minerals dissolved in water. They where gathered around rotting fish as most likely it released some salts to the mud. I also think it is much too late for P.glaucus.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Sept 24, 2019 4:03:12 GMT -8
I have a Bait Trap Slotted Pan Dura Life Type hanging from a Black Locust tree in my back yard (Oddly, I hung the same trap in a Black Locust tree in my back yard in Kentucky.)
I collect Noctuidae. I am looking for Winter Moths (Lithophane, Eupsilia, Metaxaglae, etc.) I will use apples and/or Nectarines and Persimmons (The Persimmons are from 2018 and are in my freezer.)
This past Winter I collected 250+ winter moths of 21 species.
Although I have previously live in NE Ohio (1982 to 1989) in Huntsburg, I did not use bait traps during the winter. While living in South Florida (1989 to 1993), I used Bait Traps 24/7/365.
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Post by joniverson on Sept 24, 2019 17:52:29 GMT -8
After spending a somewhat difficult part of the day "heatsinking" my new ballast transformer (and yes it is now thoroughly heatsinked!!), I decided to close up my remaining bait trap early. When I went to check it, I was stunned by what looked like a new customer, something I've never had in my trap before. The light wasn't quite hitting the trap ceiling properly so there was a lot of backlighting and I couldn't quite tell until I unzipped and took a closer look. For the first time, I caught a Nymphalis antiopa. I haven't seen one of these flying around my neighborhood for over 30 years. Very nice specimen too!
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Post by joniverson on Sept 26, 2019 15:29:20 GMT -8
To my great surprise, this week has seen more leps in my only remaining hanging trap (the first trap picture at the beginning of the post..... the others have been put away for the season) than at any other time since I put out all three traps in July! Especially today, I don't think I've seen more leps than were in the trap today! Ten Vanessa atalanta, four Polygonia interrogationis, five Polygonia comma, two Limenitis arthemis, a bonus Limenitis archippus (second one in the trap this season, first one got away before I went with the slotted pans), two Dolichovespula maculata, two unidentified small moths, and three wasps. Not sure of the reason, just one of those days where the trap seemed to be a lep magnet. Well, maybe it has to do with bait. Since putting away the other two traps, when I make up bait, there's quite a bit more just for this one trap. And it was sure foamy today once I stirred it, so I knew it's right at the peak for the leps.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Sept 26, 2019 18:21:02 GMT -8
Leave your trap hanging all winter. You can collect some very nice winter/Cold weather moths. Mostly Noctuidae: Lithophane, Eupsilia, Metaxaglae and Apaeminae.
Warm winter nights with a low temperature above 55° will have winter moths on the wing. Daytime temps above 60° and slowly drop below 55° during the night will have the moths flying.
Then again, you must have the interest.
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Post by joniverson on Sept 28, 2019 1:38:52 GMT -8
Another very successful day yesterday, nearly the same number of leps as the day prior plus yet another Limenitis archippus! This one was in perfect condition. The one the day before had one wing damaged, so very happy about this perfect one!
Temperatures here have struggled to reach the mid 70's lately with low to moderate humidity, and it's been very dry since July. Still not sure of the reason for so many more leps now than at any other time, perhaps I really wasn't using enough bait per trap before. Anyway, will continue to take advantage of this great spurt while it lasts!
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Sept 28, 2019 5:05:05 GMT -8
If you keep the bait in you Bait Trap juicy, especially in dry weather, you will collect lots of insects in general, including Lepidoptera. Insects seek moisture in dry weather. I checked the trap in my yard in the morning and again in the late afternoon.
If you want lots of Lepidoptera to come to your Bait Traps, keep your bait "juicy".
I am in a new location (Aurora. Portage County, Ohio), although I collected here in the early 1970's and again in the early 1980's, it was pre-bait traps (pre-1970's) and Light Traps. I currently have three(3) Bait Traps in the Mantua Wetlands and another in an old forest near Hiram, Ohio. I will leave some, if not all the Bait Traps out all winter. I also stopped at an Apple Ochard near Chardon, Ohio and picked up a bushel of apples, all were drops for $5.00.
I also purchased about a half bushel of "old" peaches at a road side fruit stand near Burton, Ohio. I also purchased a ten (10) pound bag of sugar. After I finish making my rounds and spread what I collect, I will be cutting up and bagging bait. My freezer will be almost full. This batch of bait should take me through the winter and early spring.
This morning the bait trap in my yard had a Catocala relicta, two Catocala vidua and a Catocala angusi. As I approached the Bait Trap another black Catocala moth came off the Black Locust tree flew over my house. I let Catocala angusi fly as it was very worn. I let both Catocala vidua fly as well.
I will leave shortly to check my other Bait Traps in the Mantua Wetlands and Hiram. I also set out two Light Traps late yesterday afternoon in the Mantua Wetlands. I think I will be mounting moths all Sunday afternoon after Church.
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