Flight Intercept Traps

Many flying insects fall to the ground when they collide with a vertical surface. 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) containing preservative fluid (propylene glycol) is arranged below its bottom edge. Water mixed with a little detergent can be used to fill the trough but the captured insects will begin to rot after a few days. These traps work best when run on a long-term basis and often catch unusual insects rarely captured by other methods. They are most effective at trapping slow-flying insects such as beetles, cockroaches and crickets.

Flight Intercept Trap

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