Which trap? (1 Viewer)

[Surreybirder]

My old MV trap has more or less died from 'plastic fatigue'.
I'm thinking about the trap shown at:
http://www.pwbelg.clara.net/mercury/full-sets/index.html
My only slight worry is that with a opaque top, it will be hard to see what is going on inside the trap before I open it (sometimes it's a help to see a 'gem' - or a hornet - before it sees you).
I am also considering a more traditional 'Skinner' trap. I know they don't hold the moths as well as the Robinson type traps, which are too expensive for me.
a) has anyone tried Paul Batty's 'hawk'?
b) how much would it cost to build a Robinson type trap myself - and how much skill do you need (I'm not very confident with wiring for example)?
c) are there any other alternatives for c£120?

Thanks,
Ken

 

[SveinB]

Hi Ken.

I dont have the answers to Your questions Ken, but if the electronics are intact from Your old trap I guess they could work well in a new trap too? And if yes, a self-made Robinson is a good choice- instructions how to build it is to be found here:
http://tcdigitalphotography.co.uk/diy_robinson_trap.htm

Good luck
Svein B

 

[Surreybirder]

Thanks, Svein. I think I'll probably go for new electrics as well, as the old trap doesn't belong to me and I'd quite like to go the whole hog and get a 125 system.
The template looks a bit daunting but I may be able to get the fish-tank manufacturer across the road to do that for me (if he's still in business).
Ken

 

[RICHARD DAWKINS]

Hi Ken
You can make the electrics yourself.I used 10 meters of 2 core cable and a normal light fitting and can get a 160w bulb from here www.bltdirect.com for less than £10 and will fit the same as a normal light bulb and you don't need a choke or control box
Regards Richard

 

[Surreybirder]

Thanks, Richard,
I am not sure I'm DIY-savvy enough to build a trap from scratch. I'm beginning to think I may save up and buy a Robinson. Bioquip do one for £212 (+VAT). I'll see if I can sell some things to help fund it.
http://www.bioquip.net/acatalog/insects_moth_traps.html
Ken

 

[davidg]

Thanks, Richard,
I am not sure I'm DIY-savvy enough to build a trap from scratch. I'm beginning to think I may save up and buy a Robinson. Bioquip do one for £212 (+VAT). I'll see if I can sell some things to help fund it.
http://www.bioquip.net/acatalog/insects_moth_traps.html
Ken

Hi Ken,

I'm also in the market for a Robinson trap for the coming season in the hope that a larger proportion of the nightly catch will be retained so I've been watching this thread with interest. DIY is not my strong point either - I doubt a half-finished trap would be much good! I've been looking around on the net and I think Bioquip sell the cheapest by a few quid. Looks like some under-used bird books will be making an appearance on Ebay shortly...

David

 

[RICHARD DAWKINS]

Ken & David
Juas had a look on bioquip and i would opt for just the trap without electrics
then do like i said for the electrics and save a few quid these bulbs run straight from the
mains i used them all last year for the first time and they are brilliant because i had a Robinsons trap gave to me and i didn't want to pay out for control box ect and was told about bltdirect and went with the 2 pin self balasted bulbs which run in the normal household light fittings
Regards Richard

 

[Nick Tanner]

Google "Tony Collinson moth trap" he has made an amazing Robinson very cheaply, buy the electrics from Paul Batty, good luck

Nick

 

[Nick Tanner]

my current (untested) set-up is a home made Skinner using an old (unrecycleable) recycling bin, two pieces of salvaged perspex with a 25 mm gap held in position by a long piece of wood with two shorter pieces nailed either side stuck vertically at each of the shorter ends of the box, electrics consist of a 160 watt blended bulb, no choke required, in an old table lamp placed in the middle of the box prior to inserting the perspex, I have very high hopes, doing my weekly shop last week I noticed that Asda are selling plastic Skinner sized storage boxes for a quid, basically i made my Skinner type for the price of the bulb

Nick

 

[davidg]

Ken & David
Juas had a look on bioquip and i would opt for just the trap without electrics
then do like i said for the electrics and save a few quid these bulbs run straight from the
mains i used them all last year for the first time and they are brilliant because i had a Robinsons trap gave to me and i didn't want to pay out for control box ect and was told about bltdirect and went with the 2 pin self balasted bulbs which run in the normal household light fittings
Regards Richard

Hi Richard,
That looks like it might be worth a go - 'self balasted' is the same as 'blended' presumably? Is your system, the electric bits anyway, reasonably waterproof? I trap in all weathers (although not with 4 inches of snow, obviously!) so that is quite important.
Regards,
David

 

[RICHARD DAWKINS]

Hi David
Yes they are 160w blended.I use a large glass jar to put over the top of the bulb to keep the rain off.My skinner type traps i made from old flatpack wardrobe i have made 2 of these which total cost was about £30 but main cost is the bulbs.I will have to post some pics of it set up
Regards Richard

 

[rob lee]

Hi Ken, if you dont think you`re up to wiring a trap yourself you can buy the electrics already assembled from Paul Batty or ALS, then its just a matter of putting them in whatever device/trap you like. Its still a fairly cheap option.

 

[Surreybirder]

Thanks for all the suggestions.
I have read some pretty dire warnings about doing your own electrics - so that is not a route I plan to go down. I could buy electrics from Paul Batty but I'm still tending towards buying a Robinson (unless I can cadge a second-hand one off someone )
Do the 160W blended bulbs blow up if they get rain on them? I've never had any probs with the 80W MV that I've been using, even in cold heavy rain... but 160 must run a lot hotter.
Ken

 

[RICHARD DAWKINS]

Hi Ken
Thats a first running a mv in rain without cover they do warn you to cover them
like the 125w MV they will blow up if they get to wet.For wiring your own electric here is what to do and what you need.
1 plug wire in Neutral & Live (2 Core Cable)
1 light fitting there is only 2 screws on most losen them off put 1 wire in and tighten and the same for the other put the casing back together and done.1 electric set up with cable for £5 or less depending how much you spent on cable.
Here is 2 photo's of my homemade trap
1 just giving you the idea how i've done it & the second with it switched on
in my kitchen :t:
Regards Richard

 

[Surreybirder]

Hi, Richard,
I'm impressed.
Have you ever had it out when it has been raining?
BTW, on mine, I didn't deliberately get it wet but when the rain is really heavy and driving it's impossible to keep all the rain off the bulb with the rainshield I had. I think the fact tht it's 80W may make a bit of a difference.
Ken

 

[RICHARD DAWKINS]

Hi Ken
Yes i have had it out when raining but i put a large glass jar over the top of it and that rests on the wooden bar you can see in the photo
Regards Richard

 

[rob lee]

Hi Richard, just to take this slightly off thread, how do you think the 160w blended compares to say a 125w MV as regards attraction ? I am hoping to do more trapping away from the garden this year & a simple plug to bulb set up with a sheet would considerably cut down on the usual paraphernalia i take with me.

 

[RICHARD DAWKINS]

Hi Rob
I can't compare them to the 125w because i have never used one but most of my
moth counts in a summers night will be between 500-700 moths & that's good seems i live in the middle of a housing estate so plenty of light pollution but if i go out into the field this does increase by a few hundred.So they do attract a very high rate of moths
Hope i have given what you was looking for
Regards Richard

 

[rob lee]

Hi Richard, thanks for the info. It certainly sounds like there`s no problem on the attraction front. I also live in an urban area but i`m lucky to get 300 moths on a good night. I seem to get a fair range of species but never in numbers, except of course when the blunderwings are about. I might just invest in one of these bulbs & give it a go in the garden just to compare, they`re certainly cheap enough. Thanks for now

 

[RICHARD DAWKINS]

Rob
Let me know how you get on