Subject: DDVP pest strips in light traps

From: [email-masked] (Dave Britton)
Date: Wed, 25 Sep 1996 11:33:51 +0000

Hi,

has anyone had experience using DDVP or dichlorvos pest strips in light
traps (eg. the Vaportape II strips as sold through BioQuip)?  My previous
experiences with pest strips in Malaise traps etc. have not been good
(piles of scales and detached legs), but these were with different types of
pest strips.  My light traps have an entrance funnel with an opening
diameter of 8-9cm, and a drain hole in the base of about 1.75cm diameter in
a polyethylene bucket (diameter 23cm, height 28cm), so whatever I use has
to have an effective knock-down capability in low concentrations.  I am not
happy about using tetrachlorethane because of its high toxicity to humans
(don't want to poison my volunteers!).

thanks,

Dave B.

(follow-ups set to sci.bio.entomology.lepidoptera)

-- 
David R. Britton, Biological Sciences, 
University of Wollongong NSW Australia 2522 
(Ph) 61-42-213436 (Fax) 61-42-214135, email <[email-masked]>

---

From: [email-masked] (Charles Sartwell)
Date: Wed, 25 Sep 1996 02:45:27 -0500

I have limited experience with light traps. Main problem I encountered was
catching too many large noctuids, which were slow to die, and battered
most other captured moths while attempting to escape. Perhaps narrowing
the top opening would help reduce such a problem.

Another possibitlity is to empty the traps frequently, perhaps every hour,
if your volunteers are willing. If you're after good specimens, maybe you
can get what you need by frequent emptying of the traps one night each
week.

In article <[email-masked]>,
[email-masked] (Dave Britton) wrote:

:  Hi,
:  
:  has anyone had experience using DDVP or dichlorvos pest strips in light
:  traps (eg. the Vaportape II strips as sold through BioQuip)?  My previous
:  experiences with pest strips in Malaise traps etc. have not been good
:  (piles of scales and detached legs), but these were with different types of
:  pest strips.  My light traps have an entrance funnel with an opening
:  diameter of 8-9cm, and a drain hole in the base of about 1.75cm diameter in
:  a polyethylene bucket (diameter 23cm, height 28cm), so whatever I use has
:  to have an effective knock-down capability in low concentrations.  I am not
:  happy about using tetrachlorethane because of its high toxicity to humans
:  (don't want to poison my volunteers!).
:  
:  thanks,
:  
:  
:  Dave B.
:  
:  (follow-ups set to sci.bio.entomology.lepidoptera)
:  
:  -- 
:  David R. Britton, Biological Sciences, 
:  University of Wollongong NSW Australia 2522 
:  (Ph) 61-42-213436 (Fax) 61-42-214135, email <[email-masked]>

-- 
Charles Sartwell, Knoxville, TN, [email-masked]

---

From: [email-masked] (Dave Britton)
Date: Thu, 26 Sep 1996 09:38:04 +0000

> can get what you need by frequent emptying of the traps one night each
<snip>

I'm not so concerned about getting specimens in perfect condition, but
simply in a state where I can still identify them.  The light trapping is
part of an ecological study, so I don't want to limit my size ranges.  I
guess I will have to put up with the large noctuids and blundering chafers.
 I need to run the traps all night; I'm afraid the volunteers will rebel!!

Dave.

---

From: [email-masked] (Charles Sartwell)
Date: Thu, 26 Sep 1996 02:40:30 -0500

In article <[email-masked]>,
[email-masked] (Dave Britton) wrote:

:  In article <[email-masked]>,
:  I'm not so concerned about getting specimens in perfect condition, but
:  simply in a state where I can still identify them.  The light trapping is
:  part of an ecological study, so I don't want to limit my size ranges.  I
:  guess I will have to put up with the large noctuids and blundering chafers.
:   I need to run the traps all night; I'm afraid the volunteers will rebel!!
:  
:  
:  Dave.
:  -- 
:  David R. Britton, Biological Sciences, 
:  University of Wollongong NSW Australia 2522 
:  (Ph) 61-42-213436 (Fax) 61-42-214135, email <[email-masked]>

You might be able to fit a separator in bottom of the trap, say, something
of hardware cloth with 1/4-inch mesh. Is hardware cloth an Americanism?
Anyway, I'm referring to coarse wire screen. You can so cut it to fold
edges down as legs and also size it so it fits snugly. Perhaps there is
some kind of plastic mesh that would work as well. 

You still might stimulate a volunteer to stay up all night by indicating
that some moths fly during certain periods of the night, rather than all
night. There are some species having peak flights at dusk, some right
after nightfall, etc. There are all kinds of ecological stratifications.