Actinic moth trap (1 Viewer)

Surreybirder · Feb 14, 2004

I wonder if someone could advise me? I'd like to get an inexpensive moth trap to start catching some moths in my garden. I'm very much a novice moth-er, so I'm thinking of an actinic trap that could be powered from the mains socket in our greenhouse. (I don't think the neighbours would be happy about a powerful MV light; and I don't need to catch too many moths at once at this stage.)
Anglian Lepidopterist Supplies sell a 15W heath type trap for £115, or thereabouts, which is rather more than I can afford. There are other suppliers on the Internet who sell 'complete kits' for about £31, which seems remarkably cheap in comparison. I was wondering if these kits are really 'complete' or whether I'd have to buy lots of other bits and pieces. I'd love to hear from someone who has used one of these kits as to whether they will do the job.

:h?:

CJW · Feb 14, 2004

Hi Ken, have you considered an MV using a black bulb? Your neighbours wouldn't even know about it!
You can build a cheap trap, with electrics, for about £40 and your catches would be better than just using an actinic.
Chris

Surreybirder · Feb 14, 2004

Thanks for the suggestion, Chris. I'll look into it.
(I gather that one of the disadvantages of the black bulb is that it gets very hot and therefore needs to be weather-proof?)
Ken

Kiki · Feb 14, 2004

All these bulbs get hot. We have glass jars - I bought them from a kitchenware shop, that sit over the bulb nicely and protect it from the weather. You do get some small reduction in the effectiveness of the bulb but, it's a small price to pay for the protection! If you take the paper wrapper into the shop you should be able o get a suitable jar.

Brian Stone · Mar 1, 2004

I have just assembled a 15W actinic kit (£37.45 from Bioquip http://www.bioquip.net/), mainly to be able to trap away from the garden (using a 12V supply and power inverter). I had to supply a length of mains cable, some terminal block and a few screws but otherwise everything was included. That excludes the actual trap of course, which you could build yourself. There are plenty of designs on line.

Surreybirder · Mar 1, 2004

Thanks for this Brian. Was it fairly straightforward to build the trap? I'm not too briliant at woodwork! Perhaps it's not over-critical to produce a 'perfect' piece of work!
I am actually veering towards an MVl trap now.
Ken

Brian Stone · Mar 1, 2004

I already had a complete MV trap bought from the same source so I didn't make my own. This design doesn't look hard to put together but I chose to pay someone else to hit their thumbs with the hammer. The complete trap would be GBP105.

Sorry if anyone from bioquip is listening but it wasn't the best buy ever. It took weeks to arrive and is a bit shoddy in places (for example the cutting of the perspex is messy and is not square). I have also had do make my own modifications to provide protection for the bulb. Most opinion says that bulbs need protection at all times not just in the wet so I reckon any design should incorporate something to achieve this. It does do the job though and I am thoroughly enjoying mothing.

simondix · Mar 1, 2004

I use a Robinson MV Trap. I have good neighbours and a Leylandii. The trap results are not as good for actinic or Black bulbs. Also I did use Black bulbs at one stage and they did not seem to last long and were more expensive. I use a pyrex pudding bowl to cover my bulb. It fits snugly over the lamp and rests on the baffles.

harry eales · Mar 1, 2004

Actinic V Mv

Hi Surrey Birder.

I used both types of trap when surveying the Otterburn Ranges in Northumberland for the MoD. I used 1 Robinson trap and 6 Heath actinic traps every night. Despite them all being sited in good trapping locations only the Robinson Trap pulled in large numbers of specimens, often 8 to 10 times as many as all the actinic traps combined.

Despite poor reports from some quarters, I have found the 'Black' bulbs to be very effective with upto 1000 spms per night, the only problem is you need a torch to see into the trap when using a 'Black' bulb, whereas the light from a standard MV bulb gives you a good idea if moths are coming to the trap as you can actually see them.

Provided you have the cash a Robinson style trap cannot be bettered. No need to use killing vapours, just lots of egg cartons. The best night I ever had with a Robinson brought in over 3000 moths, usually you get a lot less, especially in a garden, but several hundred is possible depending on the location.

Why not see if you can find a local entomologist with a Robinson Trap and see judge for yourself.

The only time I use Actinic now is when working high mountains where everything has to be carried by hand uphill. Lugging even a portable generator is no fun.

Harry Eales.

WCA · Mar 2, 2004

Hi Surreybirder,

I too am a novice Moth-er and purchased my first Moth Trap (an MV, based on the Robinson pattern) from Paul Batty of Sheffield.
I'm very impressed with it, and it cost less than the £115 Actinic trap you describe. He also does Actinics from £50, which is my next purchase.
If you haven't checked out his website, the address is: http://www.pwbelg.clara.net/mercury/

Be assurred that I have no commercial interest, I'm just a satisfied customer.

regards,

Bill Aspin (Blackburn, VC59).

PS. - I was delighted to catch my first (and only!) Moth - The Satellite - on the first night (12th feb) using the MV in the garden, just before the mild spell of weather ended mid-feb. Since then nothing due to this damned cold spell, which is proving incredibly frustrating for a novice such as myself whos chomping at the bit to catch a few Moths!

Surreybirder · Mar 2, 2004

Someone has kindly lent me an 80 W MV trap .... so now all I need is a bulb!

Surreybirder · Mar 14, 2004

Kiki said:
All these bulbs get hot. We have glass jars - I bought them from a kitchenware shop, that sit over the bulb nicely and protect it from the weather. You do get some small reduction in the effectiveness of the bulb but, it's a small price to pay for the protection! If you take the paper wrapper into the shop you should be able o get a suitable jar.

Kiki, are they just 'glass jars' or is there something special about them--such as being heat resistant, pyrex or whatever?
Ken

Kiki · Mar 14, 2004

Hi Ken,
They are just normal glass jars - the ones I got were storage jars with a glass lid which just got thrown away. As I said, they are effective, but also relatively cheap. They do break eventually but, whatever you get would do. Hope this helps.
Keren

mothman · Dec 6, 2004

weatherproofing mv moth traps

A replacment cafetiere jar makes the best rainguard of all it is thin, (allowing max UV escape)and heatproof .however no guard should be used with black bulbs as it renders them useless , this has something to do with the filter used in the manufacture of this lamp.

Surreybirder · Dec 7, 2004

Thanks for the advice, mothman.
And welcome to 'mothforum'

Ken

mothman · Dec 8, 2004

The "Leps"are taking over!

Surreybirder · Dec 8, 2004

mothman said:
The "Leps"are taking over!

Shhhhhhhhhhh... don't let the secret out!

Surreybirder · Feb 14, 2005

update

In the end I bought a 25W Actinic from Paul Batty. It seems to work well and survived a heavy downpour the other night. I plan to rig up some sort of rain-shield at some point.
I use the MV and the Actinic on different nights. The MV seems to pull in more moths but it's hard to tell at this time of the year when catches are low anyway.
Ken

Steven Hancock · Feb 15, 2005

Actinic trap

Surreybirder said:
In the end I bought a 25W Actinic from Paul Batty. It seems to work well and survived a heavy downpour the other night. I plan to rig up some sort of rain-shield at some point.
I use the MV and the Actinic on different nights. The MV seems to pull in more moths but it's hard to tell at this time of the year when catches are low anyway.
Ken

Hi Ken i like the look of that trap i`ve looked on Paul Batty`s web site and i can`t see that model could you please tell me which model it is and what it costs.

Steven Hancock

Surreybirder · Feb 15, 2005

Hi, Steven, Welcome back!
This trap isn't on Paul's site yet as he's not gone into commercial production yet. But it's a heath-type 25W actinic with vanes made by Paul. I paid £69.95, I think it was. I believe he plans to start mass production later this spring.
You could email him for more details.
I believe the 40W version is about £10 more.
Good luck
Ken

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