Starting watching moths

[Ian Pratt]

I would like to start moth trapping and wondered if anyone can recommend an easy, cheap way of starting with a simple moth light trap.

[Neil Freeman]

Hi Ian,

The easiest and cheapest way to start is with a white sheet and a light.

https://www.lancswt.org.uk/blog/charlot ... -beginners

After that, it depends on how deep you want to dive down the rabbit hole.

An idea of moth trap prices can be found here;

https://www.angleps.com/mothtraps.php

Or you can make your own, some ideas here:

https://butterfly-conservation.org/in-y ... -moth-trap

Cheers,

Neil.

[Ian Pratt]

Thanks Neil- really helpful. What happens if it rains? Will the electricity cut out? I presume I should use an RCD safety device?

[Neil Freeman]

I still run my trap in the rain, it does not deter moths like it does most butterflies. in fact I have had good catches in the rain as long as it is not too heavy.
I have a trap from ALS and all the electrics come weather sealed. My trap also uses actinic tubes which run cooler than mercury vapour bulbs. One potential problem with MV bulbs is that they run hot and can shatter if rain gets on them.
Most traps come with rain guards of some sort and if not is is easy to rig something up to keep the rain off.

Cheers,

Neil