bear with me here- moth trap ideas

[whaleomeloette]

hello, iv never tried to catch moths with a trap as where i live is fairly.. poop for moths however i live near some crackin spots.

so basically i was wondering do uv/blacklights attract moths?
if so i have a plan
its prob been done before but im rather hopeful about it
x

[whaleomeloette]

bump

[MetalMoth]

I am new to moth trapping, having only started doing it a couple of weeks ago. However I have been doing a lot of reading and research into moth traps as I am in the process of building my own trap. So I shall share with you my limited knowledge and understanding of the different types of bulbs you can use.

As I understand there are two main types of bulbs typically used for moth trapping: Acitinic and MV (Mercury vapour). Acitinic bulbs typically I think come as long tube bulbs and would be low in wattage (15w) and not too bright but emit UV light which moths are attracted to. I have been using a moth trap in my garden which uses an acitinic bulb and so far I have caught around 20 moths each night, though that is not representative as I think they were two nights of bad weather for trapping.

Acitinic bulbs produce a lower catch than MV bulbs. MV bulbs are brighter (can go up to 150w) and thus attract more moths, also more moths from further away. So MV bulbs are obviously better to use but maybe if you are a beginner, like myself, you could start off using an acitinic which attracts less and is therefore less daunting. Though when I eventually buy the electrics for my moth trap I am going to buy an MV kit as it will attract more species and more interesting moths.

I should also say that if you are using an MV bulb it does need a choke box which allows it to be plugged into the mains. I am not very good on electrics but I think this is right! The acitinic trap I use runs off a 12v battery which I charge using a car battery charger.

That's all I know, I think! I am sure someone else will correct anything I have said if it is wrong. I am very new to all this! Hope this helps you with your query.

[whaleomeloette]

Originally Posted by MetalMoth

Acitinic bulbs produce a lower catch than MV bulbs. MV bulbs are brighter (can go up to 150w) and thus attract more moths, also more moths from further away

Thank you for your detailed reply, i read up on MV bulbs a while ago,
how is your trapping going?

i was wondering if i bought some portable uv blacklight money checkers would they attract moths?
means no plugs and no blowing my self up, also i dont have a garden so i have to go elsewhere and unfortunately forests dont have plugs!

[MetalMoth]

My reply may have been detailed but I am by no means an expert at all on all of this, as I said I have only just started to trap and read up on it all. So don't take my word for it, I was just trying to pass on my limited understanding of moth traps.

I have only trapped on two nights in my garden. I am using an acitinic skinner trap and it went well by my own standards. I am just pleased that each night I saw a new moth, which is not hard when you are just starting out but it is great to catch new ones so you can test your ID skills and learn a new species.

I don't know if your idea of using UV money checkers (don't know what they are!) would work. Sorry!

Yes it would be tricky trapping elsewhere as you would have to sort out land permission to do it and make sure your stuff didn't get stolen. You could use a battery as I mentioned, which is what I use, or a generator.

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by MetalMoth

I should also say that if you are using an MV bulb it does need a choke box which allows it to be plugged into the mains. I am not very good on electrics but I think this is right! The acitinic trap I use runs off a 12v battery which I charge using a car battery charger.

A mercury vapour lamp, like a domestic fluorescent lamp needs some sort of control of the current it draws. This is often a choke, but sometimes with small lamps e.g. 'low energy' bulbs, the control is done with semiconductor circuitry. Without this control, as the lamp warms up its resistance drops, which causes more current to flow, which heats the lamp even more - until the 'runaway' condition causes it to eventually be destroyed, often in an explosion!

Jim

[MetalMoth]

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

A mercury vapour lamp, like a domestic fluorescent lamp needs some sort of control of the current it draws. This is often a choke, but sometimes with small lamps e.g. 'low energy' bulbs, the control is done with semiconductor circuitry. Without this control, as the lamp warms up its resistance drops, which causes more current to flow, which heats the lamp even more - until the 'runaway' condition causes it to eventually be destroyed, often in an explosion!

Jim

Ah yes that makes sense, it is what I thought the choke was for. I thought it was something to regulate the power input. Thanks for explaining it to me!