Attracting moths on the cheap

[James M]

Hi there! I was wondering what advice any members could give me on attracting moths cheaply and effectively?
I've always wanted to try a moth trap, but it seems for them to be very effective you would need different types of bulbs eg. M.V, actinic, which I can't find very cheap anywhere. Trying say an energy saving bulb etc, which is more easily available never attracts many, maybe 2 or 3 at best. Are there cheaper versions of light traps I could try?
I also considered sugaring, are there any cheap recipes that I could try?
I was thinking of looking into planting some more flowers as well, which ones readily attract moths? I have for example a buddleja for butterflies etc. which attracts a few species of moths (normally large yellow underwing etc), but what others are there? there are a wide range of species which I never get to see like the hawkmoths for example. Any advice will be greatly appreciated


James,

[Wild-Woman]

You could use a cheap red wine with plenty of dissolved brown sugar or honey.Soak strips pf cloth in the solution and tie around tree branches.It works on some moths but you do end up with happy wasps!

[Uv moth notingha]

Ooooo, I love this subject , As I spent several months trying to get hold of a cheap but effective moth trap I am now well versed in this field Last year I used a ordinary light bulb and managed about 20 moths , but like you said , that is a low number .
I think you need paul batty , a brilliant supplier of moth lamps . I eventualy bought a 20w actinic bulb off him for 14 quid . So far it has peaked at around 80 moths , including poplar,privet and elephant hawkmoths along with around other 50 species (in only 2 months !)
Another option is to get a mercury tungsten blended lamp (not mercury vapour , these can be run direct off the mains) , which will atract more than even the best actinic lights , but they do have downsides , they cant take even a drop of rain (or they will actualy explode) and are extremely bright (not good for small overlooked gardens ) and extremly hot (surface temp 100 0c +...) . Consruct a box , then get some sheet plasic and angle it in to the box in a "V" shape , but leaving a small gap for the moths to fall in (3cm ) . TA DA , there you have it . Dont bother with sugaring . It does not really work enough to be any fun . My trap cost me £20 , thats as cheap as you can go !
UVMOTH
" IF I TOLD YOU MY NAME.... I WOULD HAVE TO KILLL YOU"

[widiot]

Another cheap alternative is to use an Energy saving UV bulb. These come in various wattages and a 25w will attract a good number of moths. They can be picked up on ebay or various websites for around £10 and are useful because you dont need any special sort of light fitting and also dont give off much visible light so dont upset the neighbours. I used one with a white sheet and had some really good moths. For me building a trap was great fun and I my first attempt was using a lampshade for a funnel(which also had the advantage of having a fixing for a bulb holder) with the lamp shade going into a bucket/I threw in a few egg boxes and surprisingly caught lots of moths.

Sugaring can be fun,and i get species to sugar that I dont get to light but in general I dont get many moths to sugar and would only recommend if you have half a dozen sites in your garden that you could apply sugar and spend a few hours checking with a torch. Also be aware that during daylight hours any sugaring will attract lots of wasps.

My only other warning would be is if you are going to start moth trapping be prepared to become stupidly addicted and a real bore to anyone who will listen. I drive my wife/friends/kids mad with my constant excitement about my what Ive caught

[James M]

Thank you everyone, think I'll try everything suggested and see if I can get hold of one of those bulbs. widiot, I think that will be me! haha since I got my copy of Townsend and Wareing's field guide to moths of Great Britain, I always get excited when I find any moth and try to identify it .

[earthdragon64]

I've seen some good results with an MV bulb mounted on a tripod with a white sheet below.

Regards, Audrey.