I have been asked to run a moth night at a nearby school on 23rd June. I realise it is the worst possible date in terms of waiting for it to get dark. I wondered if, from past experience, anyone is able to give some indication of the earliest time we are likely to get moths attracted to light, sugar and wine ropes.
Andy Newbold, Sibford Ferris, Oxon.
Sunset is around 9.24 around then and twilight is really long. You can almost add an hour before anything might run past the light. But there are plenty of Geometers and micros flying around as the light fades, so a net might fill in some time. You might give some thought to running the event next morning for the kids, so pack up some of the larger moths in cages and the like, cover up the moth trap and go through it all in the light of day with them.
ReplyDelete...or run the trap the previous night as well and go through the catch with your audience before it gets dark. Provided they're kept out of direct sunlight the moths will usually remain settled throughout daylight hours. While you would need to plug the gaps (I use the rain-guard on a Robinson or a small towel to cover the slot in a Skinner), covering the trap completely is not a good idea because that makes the moths think it is dark and they'll start to become frisky.
DeleteJust a thought, but apart from the obvious safety considerations you may want to look into whether you'll need some form of public liability insurance as well.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for the quick responses. I will certainly leave traps out overnight and have an optional session in the morning to go through the catches. Having a net or two is an excellent idea to help fill the time as is having some moths from the previous night. I am liasing with the school on safety, insurance and child protection issues.
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