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Here's a totally easy way to get moths! I've used the following method now since 1982 with totally excellent results, and it involves putting up some lights, and some sort of support for the moths to cling to when they come in (to the lights) The lights:The most simple, and easy-to-get is the mercury vapor light, available at Wal-Mart for about $25. This is the standard "pole light", which works best if the protective cover is removed, so there's nothing between the bulb itself, and the swarm of insects that soon find it on a dark night! However it is said that even a few raindrops will shatter such a bulb once the cover is removed. Anyways it'll also work with the cover ON, but it seems a little less attractive to them......... but with the cover left on, you can use it with confidence when you suddenly find yourself sitting in a night rain! Also it's best to collect when there is no moon in the sky........ and YOUR light is the only light they can see! Here's a note about the moon. In the summer sky, the moon travels low to the South usually, and the fuller the moon is, the lower it will be, so if you find yourself out collecting with the moon in the sky, here's a trick that will help you! Simply place your lights in such a location where the moon will not shine directly on them, and even though the over-all sky will be brighter because of the moon, if you are set up close enough to the trees, it shouldn't matter too much, but it's still far best to select a warm, humid moonless night, and set up your lights about 50 ft. away from the edge of the woods....... and wait! A really great bulb is the Sylvania Sun-Gun, or a similar ultraviolet sun tanning bulb. I haven't seen these on the market for a good number of years, but they were the BEST....... but the vapor light is a close substitute! AVOID the "sodium" bulb though, which is similar to the mercury, but it casts an orange glow instead of pure bright white - so it will be unattractive to insects! Again avoid that one! Another fairly good light is the "Bright Stick", which is merely a flourescent bulb designed to be plugged in, without the worry/hassle of ballasts, or complicated fixtures. I use this as an aid to collecting, rather than a main tool, by hanging it over my main rig. I rig up two poles with a rope between them, and after they are well guyed, I hang a white sheet over the rope. Afterwards I mount the pole light to one of the sticks toward one side of the sheet, and hang the Bright Stick on the "dark" side of the sheet. This rig seems good at getting everything - both large and small - that flies by and gets caught in the glare! Be aware though that the females often refuse to come into the sheet, but will often perch a ways out on weeds, tall grass, etc, and females seem to do most of their flying before 1:00 AM, but after that, there are vast hordes of males that come in! Anyways both Cecropia and Promethea sometimes start their flight so early in the evening it isn't even all the way dark yet, and I've had to go chasing after them with net in hand! In a fix, if you live in a rural area, keep an open eye out for lit signs, etc, and even a neighbor's garage! These areas when well lit can all be very productive, especially on that hot and muggy July night! Also keep a watch out for well-lit areas such as rural gas stations, tennis courts, etc. Over all, night collecting is fun, and this is how I get much of my breeding stock each year, and hopefully this has been of some help to you. I'll once again be collecting this year in the Poconos, even though most productive place I've ever collected was Southeast Ohio - both on the wooded ridges, as well as the forested valleys, and if I had to choose, I'd pick the lower areas. Your collected females can simply be dropped into a paper sack, and you'll soon have eggs! Hopefully this page has been of some help, and I will be updating it soon! |
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