Tuesday, 7 June 2016

Large Nutmeg and Bat question?

I think this is a Large Nutmeg - a species I've struggled to identify previously. Can someone confirm?

I found a couple of wings this morning. A Poplar Hawk and a Garden Pebble. I'm thinking bats. I've relocated the trap but it's a small garden so I'm not sure it will make any difference. Any advice?





Mark Griffiths, Garsington, Oxford



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2 comments:

  1. Dave Wilton7 June 2016 at 21:53

    Hello Mark, yes to Large Nutmeg.

    I don't know that there's much you can do about bats other than try to locate the trap somewhere where there are obstacles to their flight. I have a substantial colony of Brown Long-eared Bats nearby and they seem to learn very quickly where the sources of food are, so there's not really a great deal that can be done. During the summer months I run the garden trap under a gazebo. Although it cuts down quite considerably the light given off immediately above the trap, I find that it does keep the bats at bay a little (and doesn't seem to affect to any great extent the quantity of moths that I get, indeed the gazebo roof provides some species with a place to roost quite safely). I suppose I could go further and surround the gazebo supports with some large-mesh chicken wire or similar (which the largest moths could easily get through) but I seriously doubt that this would make a great deal of difference! I think you'll just have to accept that there will occasionally be a few losses.

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  2. Mark Griffiths8 June 2016 at 10:59

    thanks Dave

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