Flight Intercept Traps

Many insects fly in a random fashion just above ground level and fall to the ground when they collide with a vertical object. Flight intercept traps utilise this behaviour to trap insects. A vertical screen of transparent plastic, such as cling film, is stretched between two stakes and a trough (or row of ice cream containers) of preservative fluid (propylene glycol) is arranged below its bottom edge. Detergent added to water will work as well as the preservative fluid. These traps work best on a long-term basis but yield surprising catches of insects not normally caught by other methods.  They are most effective at trapping slow-flying insects such as beetles, cockroaches and crickets.