modification suggestions for butterfly bait trap?

ctron · Post by **ctron** » Sat Sep 02, 2017 5:11 am

I wasn't sure which section to post this to, but since I am using a trap for butterfly and moth acquisition to do macro later, I was hoping I could place it here. Anyway, I've attached an image of the top of my DIY trap. I'm having a problem. By the end of the day, not only am I getting some butterflies, but huge amounts of flies and some hornets. There are zippers along the sides, but most bugs don't use those and want to exit out the top. As you can see, I've cut a section out and I was going to fabric glue in two zippers at right angles, but tests yesterday showed that, while the many flies exited within an hour, the hornets remained and I need something better. I'm kind of stumped here and would welcome any suggestions. I wish I could fold back say half of the top (cutting one half of the circle away at the edge), but then I don't know how to seal. I can't find such a thing as a curved zipper and the plans I do find for coil zippers seem like it would be a tedious process and I was looking for something simpler. Velcro comes to mind, but I fear it would seal too well and pulling it away would tear the nylon, plus whatever I use needs to be waterproof.

Thanks in advance for any help.

ChrisR · Post by **ChrisR** » Sat Sep 02, 2017 5:29 am

Glue small magnets on?

Deanimator · Post by **Deanimator** » Sat Sep 02, 2017 8:59 am

If you attached the velcro to loops of material and then the loops to the trap, when you opened the aperture, you'd be pulling on the velcro, not on the trap.

You'd need to be sure to use both loops when opening it so as not to stress the trap material.

ctron · Post by **ctron** » Sat Sep 02, 2017 9:49 am

ChrisR wrote:Glue small magnets on?

Interesting idea, might work, if I could source the magnets locally. I'd definitely have to keep an eye on the weight though.

ctron · Post by **ctron** » Sat Sep 02, 2017 9:51 am

Deanimator wrote:If you attached the velcro to loops of material and then the loops to the trap, when you opened the aperture, you'd be pulling on the velcro, not on the trap.

You'd need to be sure to use both loops when opening it so as not to stress the trap material.

I don't quite follow, so any way you can clarify would be helpful. I'm not sure what you mean by loops of material or their size and placement. Thanks!

Deanimator · Post by **Deanimator** » Sat Sep 02, 2017 10:08 am

ctron wrote:
Deanimator wrote:If you attached the velcro to loops of material and then the loops to the trap, when you opened the aperture, you'd be pulling on the velcro, not on the trap.

You'd need to be sure to use both loops when opening it so as not to stress the trap material.
I don't quite follow, so any way you can clarify would be helpful. I'm not sure what you mean by loops of material or their size and placement. Thanks!

Ok, let's see if I can explain this without a drawing...

For the part that closes the aperture:

On top, the nylon cover
Next, a simple loop of some fabric, maybe 1" or 2" long that you could grasp when opening the trap
Next the male velcro

Glue or sew all of this together so that you can pull on the fabric loop without pulling directly on the trap itself.

For the part on the body of the trap to hold the other part in place, in order:

On top, the female velcro
Next, the second fabric loop
Next trap itself

Glue or sew together.

To close, simply bring the loops together causing the mail and female velcro to mesh.

To open the trap, merely hold the bottom loop stationary, while pulling away with the top loop, disengaging the mail and female velcro. Using the loops will ensure that any stresses are on the loops and velcro rather than the trap itself and cover. The trap itself remains stationary, while the cover is simply lifted away by the loop and the velcro.

ctron · Post by **ctron** » Sat Sep 02, 2017 10:29 am

Deanimator wrote:
ctron wrote:
Deanimator wrote:If you attached the velcro to loops of material and then the loops to the trap, when you opened the aperture, you'd be pulling on the velcro, not on the trap.

You'd need to be sure to use both loops when opening it so as not to stress the trap material.
I don't quite follow, so any way you can clarify would be helpful. I'm not sure what you mean by loops of material or their size and placement. Thanks!
Ok, let's see if I can explain this without a drawing...

For the part that closes the aperture:

On top, the nylon cover

Next, a simple loop of some fabric, maybe 1" or 2" long that you could grasp when opening the trap

Next the male velcro

Glue or sew all of this together so that you can pull on the fabric loop without pulling directly on the trap itself.

For the part on the body of the trap to hold the other part in place, in order:

On top, the female velcro

Next, the second fabric loop

Next trap itself

Glue or sew together.

To close, simply bring the loops together causing the mail and female velcro to mesh.

To open the trap, merely hold the bottom loop stationary, while pulling away with the top loop, disengaging the mail and female velcro. Using the loops will ensure that any stresses are on the loops and velcro rather than the trap itself and cover. The trap itself remains stationary, while the cover is simply lifted away by the loop and the velcro.

Sorry, I'm still not following. The only way I can see this when holding the loop placed on the trap body is within the trap itself, accessed through one of the side zippers, something I wanted to avoid when hornets are inside. I think were pulling on opposing loops with velcro attached to the bottom (with the nylon trap material in between the velcro and loop?). Still not sure what you mean, sorry.

ChrisR · Post by **ChrisR** » Sat Sep 02, 2017 2:06 pm

Ebay has loads of magnet sellers. Even tiny magnets would beat any bug!
There are magnetic tapes too, which you can cut with scissors.
"Rubber Flexible Magnetic Tape Craft Magnet Strip Black"

ctron · Post by **ctron** » Sat Sep 02, 2017 4:12 pm

Thanks guys, but I decided to go with my original zippers except placed at right angles to one another. I also sealed the original cut out area. With the top opened out, I now get about 70% in the open so much better chance of clearing out the bugs quickly.

Thanks again to all who responded here.

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Sat Sep 02, 2017 6:13 pm

If I'm understanding the operation of this trap, it relies on bugs wanting to go up instead of down, where they came in.

I'm now thinking that your flies and hornets are smaller then the butterflies and many of the moths that you want to catch, so I'm wondering...

Would making the top of the trap from a suitably large mesh keep the flies and hornets from accumulating while the trap is working?

--Rik

ctron · Post by **ctron** » Sun Sep 03, 2017 12:41 am

rjlittlefield wrote:...Would making the top of the trap from a suitably large mesh keep the flies and hornets from accumulating while the trap is working?

--Rik

That was one of the ideas I thought of before deciding on the zippers. The problem is time. It's getting cooler day by day here and soon there won't be any active butterflies. No one had the larger mesh locally and I would have had to order it, maybe a week shipped. What mesh was available was either slightly larger (perhaps by 1/16" which wasn't enough) or way too large and most of what I wanted could have escaped too.

A guy who has used these traps for over 30 years assures me that I wouldn't have been stung even without the modifications as long as I proceeded slowly when removing desired butterflies and moths. Still, I didn't want to take any chances.

The trap itself works well and has been bringing in a good many of the types I was seeking, including a few I wasn't aware of were present in my area (especially moths). And I was actually after one type of hornet, the European or giant hornet, and it brought in one of those too.

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Sun Sep 03, 2017 8:04 am

Excellent -- thanks for the further information. I have not trapped much, so I appreciate the info.

--Rik

ctron · Post by **ctron** » Sun Sep 03, 2017 8:39 am

You're welcome. It certainly is bringing in lots, especially on the warmer days. I've been using the "standard" butterfly bait mixture, overripe bananas, some sugar, and sometimes a pinch of yeast to get the fermentation going faster. A day in the house first and then it's ready. You can change recipes to attract different insects. There is a recipe out there for attracting flying beetles, for example.

ctron · Post by **ctron** » Sun Sep 03, 2017 11:05 am

Just wanted to note that I had the first test of the dual zippers today and they worked great! I placed the trap up early this morning and within 6 hours, there were many flies, three white faced hornets, and a European hornet trying to get out the top. Since I wanted the Euro hornet, I carefully partially unzipped one of the zippers while holding a jar above it while also aiming the light from the flashlight band I was wearing at the unzipped area. Took a little time, but the hornet flew out and into the jar. Once that was done, I just unzipped both sides and the rest of the hornets and flies flew on out. Happy with this mod and I'm surprised none of the plans I came across on the web incorporated either these or at least the larger mesh for the top as mentioned.