FOR REVIEW: How To Attract Moths To Your Yard

OVERVIEW:
Black Lights
--Findings on 6/12/2009
--Findings on 7/10/2009
--Findings on 7/16/2009
Glowing Eyes
Flowers
Bait
Squashes
How To Set Up A Black Light
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Black Lights:

There are many ways to attract moths to your yard. One way is to set up an ultraviolet light, or black light. (see here) It attracts many different species of insects.

Here is a list of what I found at a black light in Lancaster Co, PA on June 12, 2009.

Green Geometer
White Geometer
Delicate Cycnia
Oregon Cycnia
Banded Tussock Moth
Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moth
Fall Webworm Moth
Tufted Bird Dropping Moth
Nicrophorus pustulatus
Nicrophorus orbicollis
Asiatic Garden Beetle
Northern Masked Chafer
Caddisfly
Danosoma brevicorne

Also, here is another list of my findings on 7/10/2009 when I set up a black light also in Lancaster.

Brown Geometers
Curve-toothed Geometer
White Geometers
Virgin Tiger Moth
Virginian Tiger Moth
Fall Webworm Moth
Banded Tussock Moth
Yellow-Collared Scape Moth
Caddisfly
Click Beetle
Dircaea liturata
Longhorn Beetle
Tussock Moth
Datana
Red-Lined Panopoda
Ichneumon Wasp
Cranefly
Midge
Diaperis maculata
Northern Masked Chafer
May Beetle
Asiatic Garden Beetle
Spotted Pelidnota
Bilobed Looper

Later, on July 16 I found:

Apantesis
Apantesis
Imperial Moth
Caddisfly
Asiatic Garden Beetle
May Beetle
Northern Masked Chafer
Longhorn Beetle
Cranefly
Common Stonefly
Tulip-Tree Silkmoth

In conclusion, black lights are usually worth it to put up. They draw in a variety of beetles, large, medium, and small moths, and other insects.

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Glowing Eyes:

After reading John Himmelman's book, Discovering Moths: Nighttime Jewels In Your Own Backyard, I found that it is true that if you hold a flashlight around your forehead, you and only you will be able to see moths' eyes glow this color. This helps if you are trying to catch moths for any purpose. That is how I found this moth.

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Flowers:

Also, flowers attract moths. I have a white Butterfly weed, and it attracts some moths, such as the Squash Vine Borer and Eight Spotted Forester. Here is a link to some comments I made about butterfly weed. Butterfly bushes also attract cool moths, such as the Snowberry Clearwing, Hummingbird Moth, and Tobacco Hornworm. Sphinx moths and other moths also come to Phlox, moonflowers, evening primroses, and other flowers that are open at night.

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Bait:

Another way to attract moths is bait. Bait is simply a sweet substance on a tree that attracts moths, such as Noctuids and Underwings. An easy way to make bait that works is to mix stale beer and brown suger and paint it on a tree, about a square foot at eye level. Another way is to smash a rotten watermelon onto a tree.(I found this out in Discovering Moths, in the sidebar, Sugaring For Moths.

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Squashes:

If you have squash plants, you may be lucky enough to attract a couple of Squash Vine Borers. (You might also be unlucky because they destroy squash plants.) Look on flowers near squash plants, or sitting on leaves in the shade. I have seen many.


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How To Set Up A Black Light:

First, here is what mine looks like:

Setting up a black light is easy, and worth it. First, you'll need something to hang the sheet and light on. Two trees work very nicely, but any two objects about 6 feet apart that are sturdy will do. Tie a rope tightly between the two objects. (If you have extra rope, you may not even have to tie it. Just wind the rope tightly. Then wind more rope tightly over the previous winding. Do this several times. This definitely works. That's how I always hang my rope, and it's never fallen.) Then attach a 6' by 4' sheet and the rope by about 4 clothespins. (have the 4' part be vertical.) What I do to set up the actual light is I hang a shop light that does not have to be hard-wired on the rope by chains. For more details, read the remarks on this page.
You may or may not get good results, but on a moonless ,windless, and hot night, chances are something will come.

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