My interest in mothing was sparked by my son Louie. It was May 2009 and he had found a moth on the garden fence. He asked me what it was and I said "a moth". However this wasn't good enough for a 4 year old boy, so he asked "what type".........
The rest was history, it sparked off buying books, joining forums and getting together some very basic equipment. And the moth in question? An Angle Shades...........
1st attempt
And here it is! This was the very 1st incarnation of the trap. Built with one of my Dad's (Trent Duval- We are the Campions!) old light fittings. It housed a single 15 watt Actinic tube and was probably used in a former life to lure insects to their doom in a supermarket!
New for 2010
After a successful run from July 2009, it was time to upgrade. This time the trap itself was treated to a makeover. I took off the hinged door, painted the inside and replaced the 1mm perspex with some sturdy 6mm (thank you Tescos for your old delicatessen counter!) This proved a hit and the yield increased
The latest model
The latest installment was to dispense with the old light fitting and fit a compartment inside the trap. This twin gear tray allowed me to fit two tubes along side each other and do away with the top cross piece. I elected to use a Blacklight Blue along side the original 350BL to hopefully increase the spectrum of light emitted.
So far, so good.
In the pipeline at the same time was an idea to make a fully self contained battery powered trap. Which could simlply be left in a location overnight and then be picked up in the morning.
12 volt 8 watt UV with Canopy
This is the prototype model, the body is collapsible but at present the electrics inside are loose. We used a 12v emergency lighting battery with some 12 volt running gear. The circuit was completed by fitting a light sensor and an ON/OFF switch. The light sensor is adjustable and has been set so the tube will come on at dusk and switch back off at dawn. This will save battery power and allow the trap to be dropped in a location at any time.
15w Actinic Upgrade
After a couple of field tests, we upgraded the 8 watt tube to 15 watt as the battery could accommodate the extra load. The electrics are safely concealed in a false floor in the main chamber and the canopy can be fitted if there is any risk of rain. Apart from the battery the trap is pretty light weight. We will be working on other versions of this in the near future.............
