Cody Casey
Pan traps are an easy and inexpensive way to collect and catch insects. They are brightly coloured open containers, usually made of plastic, filled with water and soap or a preservative and killing agent. Insects are attracted to the colours and fall into the water, where they can be collected later. The colour of the trap can determine the diversity of insects that are caught. For example, yellow traps tend to catch the highest number of insects, including bees, whereas blue is more attractive to bees specifically. The traps should be placed in a visible location, such as along the periphery of your backyard or near flowering plants.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Collecting and catching insects |
| Trap Type | Brightly coloured open container half-filled with soapy water |
| Trap Components | Plastic picnic bowls, water, soap/detergent, bait |
| Bowl Colours | Yellow, white, blue, red |
| Trap Location | Vegetable garden, periphery of the backyard, area where garden meets grass, edge of wooded areas |
| Bait | Overripe fruit, raw meat |
| Trap Cover | Chicken wire, mesh bag, plastic container lid |
| Insects Attracted | Bees, flies, wasps, beetles, moths, butterflies |
| Additional Notes | Pan traps kill insects; location and colour impact insect diversity and abundance |
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What You'll Learn
- Pan traps are bowls filled with liquid soap/water to lure and trap insects
- Use bright colours like yellow, blue, or white to attract insects
- Place the traps near flowering plants, shrubs, or your garden
- Use bait like raw meat or overripe fruit to entice insects
- Add a cover to prevent non-arthropod wildlife from stealing the bait
Pan traps are bowls filled with liquid soap/water to lure and trap insects
Pan traps are an easy, inexpensive, and effective way to collect and catch insects. They are bowls filled with liquid soap/water to lure and trap insects. The soap breaks the surface tension of the water, so when an insect lands in the trap, it cannot crawl or fly out again.
To make a pan trap, you can use a brightly coloured bowl, such as yellow, white, blue, or red. These colours attract different insects, with yellow being the most commonly used colour. You can use plastic picnic bowls painted in different UV-reflective colours or coloured plastic bowls. The height of the bowl should be the same as the surrounding vegetation.
Fill the bowl halfway with water and add a few drops of liquid soap or detergent to break the surface tension. You can also add a preservative or killing agent, such as salt or propylene glycol, to preserve the insects for research. Place the pan traps in a visible location, preferably in a sunny aspect near flowering plants, as they usually catch flower-visiting insects like pollinators.
To keep the insects in the bowl, you can cover the traps with chicken wire or a similar material to keep out other animals. You can also place a lid or mesh bag over the trap, especially if using meat as bait, to prevent it from being stolen by non-arthropod wildlife. Remember to check the traps daily, as insects will start to degrade, and remove them once you have collected the desired specimens.
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Use bright colours like yellow, blue, or white to attract insects
The use of bright colours like yellow, blue, or white is an important aspect of pan trap bug collection. These colours are particularly effective in attracting insects, especially when combined with water and soap or detergent. Yellow pan traps have been found to catch the highest number of insects overall, including bees. This could be because yellow and white are considered very attractive to flies and wasps. On the other hand, blue is thought to be attractive to bees, and some entomologists recommend using blue-vane traps when searching for pollinators.
The colour of the pan traps can also vary depending on the specific insect species you are targeting. While yellow is the most commonly used colour, blue, white, and red are also used to target different species. For example, in native mallee vegetation, blue traps were found to be more attractive to pollinators, while white traps were less effective in this habitat.
To create an effective pan trap, you can use brightly coloured bowls or containers, such as yellow, white, or blue ice cream containers. These containers are filled with water and a few drops of surfactant, like dishwashing liquid or detergent, to help capture insects. The soap or detergent breaks the surface tension of the water, preventing insects from escaping.
Additionally, the height of the bowl or container is important. It should be the same height as the surrounding vegetation, allowing for easy access by the insects. You can also experiment with different colours and compare the results to find the most effective colour for attracting insects in your specific location.
By utilising these bright colours and following the suggested techniques, you can effectively attract and trap insects using pan traps, providing an excellent opportunity for insect collection, research, or educational activities.
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Place the traps near flowering plants, shrubs, or your garden
When placing pan traps near flowering plants, shrubs, or in your garden, there are several things to keep in mind. Firstly, the location of your traps is key. Place the traps in a sunny spot near flowering plants, as this will increase the chances of attracting insects that are drawn to the colours of the traps and flowers. You can also set the traps along the periphery of your backyard or garden, or where the grass meets any shrubbery. If your garden has vegetables, placing a few traps among the plants can help you identify any pests that may be damaging your crops.
It is important to consider the height of the traps in relation to the surrounding vegetation. The upper edge of the bowl should be level with the height of the nearby plants. This can be achieved by placing the bowl on the ground or mounting it on a small stand or platform. If you want to hang the traps, you can use a mesh bag that hangs from a skewer placed across the opening of the trap, ensuring the bag does not touch the bait.
The colour of the pan traps is also significant. Yellow, white, and blue are commonly used colours, with yellow being the most popular as it attracts the highest number of insects overall, including bees, flies, and wasps. However, blue is specifically attractive to bees, and white is also considered very attractive to flies and wasps. If you are targeting a specific type of insect, you can choose the trap colour accordingly.
To further enhance the effectiveness of the traps, add a few drops of surfactant or detergent to the water. This will break the surface tension, preventing the insects from escaping. Additionally, consider using a cover or chicken wire to protect the traps from rain and unwanted animals. Place the traps in the late afternoon, and check them between midnight and 2 am, as this is when insects are most active. Remember to remove the insects from the traps daily, as they will start to deteriorate.
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Use bait like raw meat or overripe fruit to entice insects
Pan traps are a great way to catch insects, and using bait is an effective method to entice them. The type of bait you use will depend on the insects you want to catch. If you're looking to catch carnivorous insects, raw meat is a good option. Take a couple of small chunks of raw hamburger meat, about quarter-sized, and place them at the bottom of the trap. You can also use raw meat trimmings, as insects are attracted to the scent of meat and will be drawn to the trap.
It is important to note that due to the universal appeal of raw meat to scavenging animals, you should use a cover for your traps to prevent non-arthropod wildlife from stealing your bait. Chicken wire or a similar material can be used to create a small cone that you place over the trap. This will ensure that the insects you are trying to catch with your bait are the ones that end up in the trap.
If you're looking to catch a variety of insects, overripe fruit is an excellent bait option. Fruit flies, in particular, are attracted to the scent of overripe or decaying fruit. Fruits like bananas, papayas, and citrus fruits release ethanol and other compounds during fermentation, which lures fruit flies. The softening of the fruit also provides food and a place for females to lay their eggs.
To create an effective bait trap for insects, place a few chunks of overripe fruit directly into the trap. You can also try placing the fruit in a mesh bag that hangs from a skewer across the trap's opening. This method ensures that insects are enticed by the bait but cannot eat it.
By using bait like raw meat or overripe fruit, you can effectively entice insects to your pan traps, allowing you to catch and observe a variety of different species.
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Add a cover to prevent non-arthropod wildlife from stealing the bait
Pan traps are an easy and inexpensive way to collect and catch insects. They are brightly coloured open containers filled with liquid and bait to lure in insects. The bait used in pan traps can be very simple, ranging from raw meat to overripe fruit. However, raw meat, in particular, will attract scavenging animals like raccoons and opossums, so it is important to take steps to prevent these non-arthropod creatures from stealing the bait.
One way to do this is by using a cover for the traps, especially those baited with meat. This cover should have holes that are big enough for insects to pass through, but small enough to keep out other animals. Chicken wire or a fine-meshed sieve can be used to create a small cone that is placed over the trap. If it looks like rain, the lid of a plastic container can be positioned a few inches above the bowl using kabob skewers to hold it in place.
Another way to prevent animals from stealing the bait is to use bait that is larger than the trap openings. This will help prevent animals from stealing the bait without getting trapped. Additionally, placing a brick or weight on top of the trap can help anchor it down and prevent animals from knocking it over and stealing the bait.
It is also important to consider the placement of the trap. While pan traps are typically placed in sunny locations near flowering plants, they can also be set up along the periphery of your backyard or at the edge of a wooded area. This can help target specific types of insects while also reducing the likelihood of non-arthropod wildlife encountering the trap.
By following these tips, you can effectively use pan traps to catch insects while minimising interference from non-arthropod creatures.
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Frequently asked questions
A pan trap is a type of insect trap used to sample the abundance and diversity of insects, primarily used to capture small Hymenoptera.
You will need a shallow bowl, water, soap or detergent, and a brightly coloured plastic picnic bowl. Fill the bowl with water and add a few drops of detergent to break the surface tension. Place the trap in a sunny spot near flowering plants.
Pan traps usually catch flower-visiting insects like pollinators, bees, flies, and wasps.
Adding soap is a must as it breaks the surface tension of the water, so insects can't fly or crawl out.
