04 March 2012

Moth bait

Affectionately called "snot," it is reportedly made of "old bananas, beer, and brown sugar" and then smeared onto tree bark.  The source post at Caterpillarblog reports success in attracting moths even in the winter, and suggests an even more intriguing possibility:
You can even dip ropes into wine to attract moths.
Rotting fruit is a known lure for butterflies in the daytime, but this "snot" combination is new to me.  I'll try it (later, at our latitude).
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6 comments:

  1. N.NormalMarch 4, 2012 at 1:44 PM

    This year's maple sap flow is pretty weak here in NY. Are any of you having luck with birch syrup?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MinnesotastanMarch 4, 2012 at 2:17 PM

      I'm going to defer this year - had enough fun last year:

      http://tywkiwdbi.blogspot.com/2011/04/adventure-with-birch-water-birch-sap.html

      Delete
    2. N.NormalMarch 7, 2012 at 8:43 PM

      How did I miss this post? Outstanding. I'm going to tap a couple black birches tomorrow just for the sap. I've been enjoying cold maple sap for three weeks now, but it's getting warm - the end is at hand.
      Thanks for the great link.

      Delete
    3. MinnesotastanMarch 7, 2012 at 10:18 PM

      Just to finish the topic, this was the result when I boiled it down -

      http://tywkiwdbi.blogspot.com/2011/04/59-blogs-authored-by-tywkiwdbi-readers.html

      See the notes at the end of the post. To summarize, I would call the result "interesting" but not worth the trouble.

      Delete
  2. RossMarch 4, 2012 at 3:23 PM

    Forgive me for my ignorance, why would you wish to attract moths, unless just for the company.

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    Replies
    1. MinnesotastanMarch 4, 2012 at 4:23 PM

      No forgiveness needed. Some moths are quite beautiful. Here are three that we raised -

      http://tywkiwdbi.blogspot.com/2009/07/callosamia-promethea-giant-silkmoth.html

      http://tywkiwdbi.blogspot.com/2009/07/male-promethea-callosamia-moths.html

      http://tywkiwdbi.blogspot.com/2010/04/recent-neatorama-posts.html

      and some have interesting caterpillars -

      http://tywkiwdbi.blogspot.com/2012/01/caterpillar-wearing-camouflage.html

      I wouldn't expect any of the above to show up at a bait trap, but even the smaller ones can be gorgeous, esp with the help of a magnifying glass or macro lens on a a camera.

      (but of course we rain death and destruction on clothes moths inside our house, seeking and destroying the pupae in the dark corners of the carpeting)

      Delete

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