# Insect Traps



## shorty (Sep 8, 2010)

Today I made a simple fly trap using a plastic bottle and a funnel with meat or some other attractant in the bottom. I've used these before and they work fairly well. I'm just wondering what those of you who catch your own feeders use to trap the insects with. I'd like to find a good design for a light trap so I can just put one out and let it do the work for me overnight.

Any ideas?


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## Seattle79 (Sep 8, 2010)

I like your bottle and funnel technique. I'll try that. I don't really have any trap ideas because I am a newbie. I usually capture flies inside the house and moths outside by the lights. I would also like to know other peoples ideas on how to trap flies/insects. Great topic.

-Kevin


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## lancaster1313 (Sep 8, 2010)

I would also like to know more ways of trapping.


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## ismart (Sep 8, 2010)

I'm really not creative enough to make my own bug trap. I did purchase a light trap from zoo-med that works quite well. It's called the bugnapper. I have manged to capture all sorts of goodies for my mantids with this trap. I think it was around $40.00 or so.


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## massaman (Sep 8, 2010)

i got a cheaper way I use like a pill bottle or a 32 oz tub and when I find flies outside in view I put the cup or bottle above the fly and lower the container on the flies and works extremely well and have some escape but as long as I got the lid over the top to prevent the fly from escaping then its cake for me and this time of year the flies are easier to catch as they cling to the bark of trees!


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## Mex_Ghost (Sep 8, 2010)

ismart said:


> I'm really not creative enough to make my own bug trap. I did purchase a light trap from zoo-med that works quite well. It's called the bugnapper. I have manged to capture all sorts of goodies for my mantids with this trap. I think it was around $40.00 or so.


I search the bugnapper on the net, seems so good, I think I´ll buy one!!!


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## Jesskb (Sep 8, 2010)

For my fly trap I have cut the top off a gatorade bottle and flipped it to make a funnel, then I cut the bottom out and cover it in mesh. Then I take the cut off bottom and put the food in there and rubberband it back onto the trap, this makes disposing of the nasty bait very easy and keeps the flies out of it.


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## shorty (Sep 9, 2010)

Jesskb said:


> For my fly trap I have cut the top off a gatorade bottle and flipped it to make a funnel, then I cut the bottom out and cover it in mesh. Then I take the cut off bottom and put the food in there and rubberband it back onto the trap, this makes disposing of the nasty bait very easy and keeps the flies out of it.


That is very similar to the trap I've been using. It's just been too damn cold the last couple of days to catch anything. The only difference between my trap and yours is that I haven't added the mesh cover over the attractant. That's a good idea and I'm going to modify mine with some mesh today.

The next trap I want to make is a light trap to get my mantids some nice sized moths and to add some variety to their diets. Anyone have any ideas or designs for some light traps?


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## massaman (Sep 9, 2010)

it may be cold but you can find flies hugging trees if theres alot of trees around and they cling to the trees and they may be easier to catch this way!


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## PeterF (Sep 9, 2010)

It's not quite too late to find some cabbage looper and cabbage white pupae and let them emerge in a jar.

I'm not sure what other kind of pupae might still emerge (as apposed to over wintering).

The bottle trap sounds pretty good. I wonder if a different kind of bait could be used. Sweet for example. I'm just worried that the stinky would attract yellow jackets.

On that topic I have noticed that yellow jacket traps that use stinky baits (as apposed to sweet baits, or chemical attractants) catch a LOT more moths and flies than they do yellow jacket. This is mostly useless information, because a small piece of meat grabbed from dinner prep is cheaper than a commercial bait.

I'll have to dig out our light trap and try that, though it's getting quite cold at night.


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## shorty (Sep 10, 2010)

Today the temperature warmed up to around seventy degrees Fahrenheit, give or take a few degrees. I checked the trap and found it full of flies. The attractant I was using was left over grilled salmon from Bob Evans.

Peter, I like your idea of using some kind of a sweet attractant. I will try that tomorrow to try and get a variety of insects for my mantids. Perhaps I will use both meat and something sweat to attract an even larger variety. I think I'm going to make a larger, more complete version of my current trap this evening as well.

I still haven't started work on my light trap yet, but I have some ideas. I'll report the results when I finish it. We have a warm weekend coming and I'm hoping to catch both some more of the local species of mantids as well as some feeders.


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## PeterF (Sep 12, 2010)

For the sweet attractant- I don't know specifically what's used in fly baits. But I know we feed diluted honey to adult cabbage loopers and cabbage whites (moths and butterflys), so I figure that is where I would start.

We were looking at the bug napper, which isn't bad for $40, but we felt it would be easy enough to make with a 2 liter bottle, a flashlight and some black paper, or trash bag. Maybe some other scraps from the recycling bin. Though we haven't begun yet.

This morning I did try to lazy replicate the baited fly trap above. Already had a cut 2 liter bottle (note, coke seems to be using 2 liter bottles these days with a bit of an hour glass shape, this will be good for some projects and bad for others).

I also happened to have a 29 ounce can in the recycling - it's the same height as a soup can, but wider, and it happened to be a good size to match the 2 liter bottle.

Mesh sheet was rubberbanded on the bottom of the can (both ends were cut off) which was jammed into the bottom of the coke bottle and the top was inverted into it. It's not very snug, so it should be fine unless there is a wind or small animal interested in the raw chicken.

Also, we had a shallow deli cup laying around, which at collection time can easily be used to snug into the 29 ounce can to contain the flies.

I am worried about the thing staying together. I feel it needs a wooden base to hold it upright, as well as velcro; separate pieces of male velcro on the 3 body pieces and a long strip of female velcro to connect them. Repeated on the other side of the body. If you're feeling fancy you could put velcro on the deli cup as well to hold it closed during transport.

But this, like most things I do, is likely overkill.

But I can't see how the other fly traps on this thread stay together in the wind, my pieces don't fit THAT snug, so I don't know what I am missing.

Although, if the whole thing slid into a tube, like an oatmeal container or something, that would be good too.

A note about soda bottles:

A 2 liter (or sometimes smaller) bottle with the cap on and bottom cut off is in my opinion an irreplaceable bug wrangling tool.

I have used them to catch tarantulas, giant wolf spiders, giant centipedes, scorpions and countless other arthropods. Gloves are good, but the lack of sensitivity can make handling a venomous arthropod challenging. Also, the bottle is good for specimen that might be too delicate to handle firmly enough to keep them from getting away.

They are cheap, light weight, and clear. You can see what is going on inside and how the bottle needs to be manipulated to best contain the specimen for transfer to a secure container. It can be placed over the target, or in front of it to herd the specimen into the bottle.

I do not go collecting with out at least one. They are imperfect for mantids, but worth thinking about, especially when you never know what you may luck into regardless of what you are hunting for.


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## PeterF (Sep 12, 2010)

-deleted dupe-


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## shorty (Sep 12, 2010)

The 29oz can is a good idea. It just so happens that I have one of those in the recycling bin as well. I made a bit of an upgraded trap this weekend with a slightly bigger bottle and a mesh cover on the bottom. It worked fantastic today when it warmed up. I was just using meat again without any sweet attractants but I did find a small dead wasp in the bottom of the container when I checked it today.

The funnel I am using on my traps is taken from an actual commercial fly trap I took apart and modified so that I could collect the flies while they're still alive. I still have the attractant from the commercial trap in the water soluble baggy it came in. I'm thinking of using that in the next trap I make. I'd like to see how effective it is.

Still haven't worked on a light trap yet. Let me know how yours turns out when you finish it.


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## Precarious (Sep 24, 2010)

I've tried to use fly traps with very little success. How many does your trap catch per day?

I'm going to look into Ismat's suggestion for sure!

I posted some of this in another thread but you may find it useful...

My method:

I slam a 32 oz. deli cup over some fresh dog manure swarming with flies. The flies fly up, I quickly lift the cup and slide the lid on. No joke, I catch 15-30 bb flies at a time with this method. I keep going back filling deli cups until I'm set for at least a few days. Works like a charm.

 :wub: 

I then dip a bamboo skewer into organic unfiltered honey, slip it under the lid and deposit the honey on the underside. You can do this in advance too. I just blow in the opening and the flies stay clear. I feed the flies this way once a day and mist with water once or twice a day. They can last a long time on honey and water. I load them up with good food for at least a day before feeding to my mantids.

MantisPlace House &amp; BB Fly Food works great too if you prefer dry powdered food. For my use the honey, if used sparingly, is a little more convenient.

I keep the cups upside down on a paper towel so the frass doesn't built up in the cup and so any excess water drains out so the flies don't drown.  

And that's that. Refrigerate and distribute as needed.

I'm keeping over 30 mantids that feed mainly on flies and this is how I catch all their food. I also catch bumble bees in deli cups and use a net for cabbage butterflies. My yard is only 20'x60' but there are plenty of feeders even in that small area. It helps to have a garden, flowers, and, of course, a dog.

( Hey, you kids! Get off my lawn! That's MY dog poop! &gt; :wheelchair:


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## lancaster1313 (Sep 26, 2010)

Precarious said:


> I've tried to use fly traps with very little success. How many does your trap catch per day?
> 
> I'm going to look into Ismat's suggestion for sure!
> 
> ...


Have you had any problems with the  tainted flies? I used to catch a few flies that were near my dog's  But I worried that the poop might bother the mantids and stopped. I guess I should start using that method again if other people have not had problems with the poopie flies. I wasn't aware of feeding and refrigerating the flies.  Could I actually keep flies in the fridge? That would be very convenient for me.


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## Precarious (Sep 26, 2010)

likebugs said:


> Have you had any problems with the  tainted flies? I used to catch a few flies that were near my dog's  But I worried that the poop might bother the mantids and stopped. I guess I should start using that method again if other people have not had problems with the poopie flies. I wasn't aware of feeding and refrigerating the flies.  Could I actually keep flies in the fridge? That would be very convenient for me.


I don't think directly feeding poop flies to mantids would do any harm. The thing is flies can only consume liquids, so it's not like they have bellies full of poop. They're only consuming the liquid portions which would be water and nutrients. I do it now and then and have had no issues. But keeping them over night and feeding them honey should be 100% safe and fill them with all the good stuff your mantids need.

I would highly suggest real pure organic honey as there have been reports of a lot of the honey supply being adulterated with harmful antibiotics and/or fillers such as high fructose corn syrup! Odd as it may sound it's healthier to feed your mantids flies full of liquid dog poop than bogus honey!  

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_food_and_farm_bogus_honey

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56372

I think the flies may die if you keep them in the fridge too long, depending on how cold you have it set. But, yeah, pop them in the fridge for 10-15 minutes and they go dormant. It's a very convenient feature we can thank Mother Nature for.


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## lancaster1313 (Sep 26, 2010)

I will definitely be hovering around Joe dog's  before I wash it away. Now I have some nymphs that are small enough to notice the flies. I was having a hard time catching and trapping other things around the yard that were small enough for my St. carolina nymphs, I only kept 6 so it was no point having a culture of anything. They will soon be large enough for the flies. I had an L2 yesterday that caught a moth bigger than itself! :clap: I love when they take down big food once in a while.


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## Precarious (Sep 26, 2010)

likebugs said:


> I had an L2 yesterday that caught a moth bigger than itself! :clap: I love when they take down big food once in a while.


It's sometimes surprising what size prey they can handle if you give it a shot. My L1 Idolos could handle BB flies!

Follow this link to see:

I'm always pushing my nymphs to take larger prey. The better they eat the faster they grow.


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## shorty (Sep 27, 2010)

Precarious said:


> I've tried to use fly traps with very little success. How many does your trap catch per day?


The amount of flies my traps catch is really variable and depends heavily on temperature and what attractant(s) I am using. On a warm day it can catch anywhere from ten to twenty flies within a few hours, but, like I said, it really varies. I also check the traps frequently and remove the flies as quickly as I can before they die. It also helps that I put the traps on my back porch, where the garbage cans are located. There are always lots of flies buzzing around out there, but I have noticed a significant drop in the number of flies I see since the temps have dropped into the upper 50's (Fahrenheit). For example, I only caught one fly all day today.

If you can design a good trap it will work beautifully, but if your method already works great you might as well just stick with that. I just like the advantage of the traps doing all the work for me. And I also have a dog that defecates all over the backyard, and I too was catching them off the feces for a while, lol.   I'm glad I don't need to do that anymore.


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## Precarious (Sep 27, 2010)

shorty said:


> If you can design a good trap it will work beautifully, but if your method already works great you might as well just stick with that. I just like the advantage of the traps doing all the work for me. And I also have a dog that defecates all over the backyard, and I too was catching them off the feces for a while, lol.   I'm glad I don't need to do that anymore.


I would love to use a trap, but, like I said, I'm feeding over 30 mantids so I don't think a trap would cut it. The big ones eat a lot of flies! Besides, nothing keeps the ego in check like dealing with poop.

I ordered the Zoo Med Bug Napper. I hope it helps! For $40 it better catch something.


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## shorty (Sep 27, 2010)

Precarious said:


> I would love to use a trap, but, like I said, I'm feeding over 30 mantids so I don't think a trap would cut it. The big ones eat a lot of flies! Besides, nothing keeps the ego in check like dealing with poop.
> 
> I ordered the Zoo Med Bug Napper. I hope it helps! For $40 it better catch something.


Well, you could just make several traps, use different attractants in each of them, and place them all in different locations; this way you could catch a variety of insects in the amount you require. And you could always use traps and the poop-trap method in tandem.  

And, yeah, for $40 that thing better catch more than just something, it should be able to feed most of your inverts for that price! I was thinking about getting one too, but it's kind of late in the season to be using traps now. The temperature has been consistently in the upper 50s to lower 60s. You'd be surprised how much colder it gets up here compared to just a hundred miles or so to the south. When my Ma was in Washington, D.C. recently, it was in the 90s there and in the lower 60s here. You might have a longer season where you live.


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## ismart (Sep 27, 2010)

Precarious said:


> I would love to use a trap, but, like I said, I'm feeding over 30 mantids so I don't think a trap would cut it. The big ones eat a lot of flies! Besides, nothing keeps the ego in check like dealing with poop.
> 
> I ordered the Zoo Med Bug Napper. I hope it helps! For $40 it better catch something.


Just be careful with the plastic pieces. If you drop them, there is a good chance they will break! I found that out the hard way!


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## Wallace Grover (Sep 28, 2010)

I use a really sophisticated technique, that most of you probably couldnt recreate at home.

1. Kick around in some tall grass, look for grasshoppers

2. Grab one (i.e. clumsily dive and flail until you find a lazy one) and cup it in your hand

3. ?????

4. Profit!! (om nom nom)


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## lancaster1313 (Sep 29, 2010)

Wallace Grover said:


> I use a really sophisticated technique, that most of you probably couldnt recreate at home.
> 
> 1. Kick around in some tall grass, look for grasshoppers
> 
> ...


 :lol: I do that, but with a butterfly net from the Dollar store, and a container. I can get quite a few hoppers in one trip that way. It also works to send my kid out to do the work while I watch her.


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## Wallace Grover (Sep 29, 2010)

Bahaha, I should probably get a net. I never knew grasshoppers could fly a little


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## sjb123 (Oct 1, 2010)

i have chickens that ###### all over the garden - i use a net over their


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## Precarious (Oct 1, 2010)

Mantis Man said:


> i have chickens that ###### all over the garden - i use a net over their


It would be silly not to take advantage of all that free food, right?


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## sporeworld (Jul 18, 2011)

Hey, Precarious!

How did it go with that insect catcher thingee you mentioned above...?


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## Precarious (Jul 18, 2011)

Sporeworld said:


> Hey, Precarious!
> 
> How did it go with that insect catcher thingee you mentioned above...?


Waste of money. All I get are beetles and very small moths. I'm sure placement is everything but I have limited choices where to hang it because it needs to plug in and it must remain under a roof in case of rain.

Dog poop is still the ultimate draw for free mantis food.


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## sporeworld (Jul 18, 2011)

Darn. Was hoping for a set it and forget it moth catcher. :-(

Good thing I didn't spontaneously order it, huh? Oh, wait. I did...

Doh!


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