My first night trapping

[Miss Caretaker]

I finally finishe my actinic skinner trap last night so as the weather wasn't too bad I thought I'd give it a whirl. I turned it on at about 10pm and intended to get up at about 5.30 - 6am to turn it off/empty it. However, I didn't actually get up until 7.00 so when I came to empty it I had a grand total of 14 moths. Not exactly overwhelming! I am putting this down to the fact that it is an actinic trap and that a few will have made a swift exit while I was still snoring . There was a distinct drop in the number of micros compared to what I got with just a white sheet and the same lights si that's what made me think they had escaped.
This is the end result:

3 x Chrysoteuchia culmella
1 x Blastobasis adustella
5 x Willow Beauty, one of which I am 99% sure is one but it's very pale:

1 x Endotricha flammealis
1 x Scalloped Oak
1 x Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing (I think)

1 x Setaceous Hebrew Character
1 x Shuttle-shaped Dart (again, I think)


Any confirmation or correction for the pictured ones would be appreciated as usual!
Jo

[aeshna5]

Your photos look correctly identified to me. Always good to get started!

[Miss Caretaker]

Thanks Aeshna, I'm never 100% confident with my ID's until it's one I've seen a good few times such as the Blastobasis adustella which I had identified on here and since then have seen plenty more to learn from!
Jo

[whaleomeloette]

could you post a photo of your trap please? im curious

[Miss Caretaker]

Hi Whaleomeloette, sorry, Alexandra . As you can see, it is not a pro job!


I am planning to cut a couple of slots for the tubes to sit in as at the moment they are too high up where they rest on the edges. I was going to do that in a minute but it's just started hammering it down so I think I'll leave t for a bit...


Hope this is useful!
Jo

[whaleomeloette]

thanks yeah i can see the rain on the trap. stupid unpredictable weather!
it looks fab, as you say the light would do better being lower down so there is more chance of moths falling into the trap

the cost of mine keeps going up and up because i do something then think 'hmm' i might as well do it propperly if im going to do it *goes to order stuff online*' so its going to cost about 60 quid lol!

edit- the only thing im botherd about is the money checkers not being bright enough, but my vanes are made from mirror acrylic and i have FOUR lights... so gotta catch something right:S

[Miss Caretaker]

I have to admit that I am quite proud of the final cost of £0.00 . I only threw it together as I didn't want to spend days making it to find it didn't work! Hopefully it won't rain tonight so I can test if my adjustments are going to make a difference.
Jo

[whaleomeloette]

that is pretty damn good!

this is what i have to buy to make my trap

bought:
£8 bucket
£5 funnel
£2.90 silicone

need:
£18 uv lights
getting quote for acrylic mirror vanes+ rain guard

[Miss Caretaker]

Thanks, it sounds like you're going all out with yours! I've made the adjustments now so the lights sit lower in the box. Hopefully it'll make a difference!


Good luck with yours.
Jo

[GuyF]

Originally Posted by Miss Caretaker

Thanks, it sounds like you're going all out with yours! I've made the adjustments now so the lights sit lower in the box. Hopefully it'll make a difference!


Good luck with yours.
Jo

Well done for getting started, I should warn you it will get very addictive
It's worth remembering that the higher the light is the more obvious it will be to passing moths, so the more likely they are to see it and come to the trap (sorry to mention that now you've made the adjustments!), quite a few traps have the bulb mounted vertically above. Having said that, it shouldn't make too much of a difference, and your design should make sure that moths attracted to the light do end up in the trap!

Guy