Bio Quip has what is considered the top of the line blacklight for insects.
https://www.bioquip.com/Search/WebCatalog.asp?category=2900&prodtype=1
The cost was a bit higher than I wanted to spend in order to see just how interested I would be in this type of activity.
I wanted to create an inexpensive blacklight to use in my yard to see what kind of insects I could attract so I went for a stroll through WalMart and Home Depot. What I put together costs less than $20 total and gives me a workable solution. It is by no means as good as the one produced by Bio Quip, but is something that I can easily use for a fraction of the cost.
Bayco 8.5'' Clamp Light
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Bayco-8.5-Clamp-Light/14003467
with a 60W Equivalent Black Spiral CFL Light Bulb
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Feit-Electric-60W-Equivalent-Black-Spiral-CFL-Light-Bulb-BPESL15T-BLB/100553168?cm_sp=BazVoice--RLP--100553168-_-x
Total cost was about $15.
Give it a shot and let me know how it works for you.
So far I've attracted multiple species of moths, wasps and beetles plus other bugs. With a portable battery I took it out to the desert for the first time and it worked well there too. Some of the linked observations actually have the insect sitting on the inner rim of the light reflector.
San Diego County, California, US
BAMONA record
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/1019454
San Diego County, California, US
San Diego County, California, US
San Diego County, California, US
San Diego County, California, US
San Diego County, California, US
San Diego County, California, US
San Diego County, California, US
BAMONA record
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/1019471
San Diego County, California, US
San Diego County, California, US
BAMONA record
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/1019462
San Diego County, California, US
BAMONA record
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/1019461
San Diego County, California, US
BAMONA record
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/1019485
San Diego County, California, US
BAMONA record
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/1019310
San Diego County, California, US
BAMONA record
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/1019760
San Diego County, California, US
BAMONA record
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/1019750
San Diego County, California, US
BAMONA record
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/1019749
San Diego County, California, US
BAMONA record
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/1019739
San Diego County, California, US
BAMONA record
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/1019491
San Diego County, California, US
BAMONA record
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/1019488
San Diego County, California, US
San Diego County, California, US
BAMONA record
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/1019486
San Diego County, California, US
BAMONA record
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/1019455
San Diego County, California, US
BAMONA record
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/1020069
San Diego County, California, US
BAMONA record
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/1020073
San Diego County, California, US
BAMONA record
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/1020075
San Diego County, California, US
BAMONA record
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/1020074
San Diego County, California, US
BAMONA record
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/1019763
San Diego County, California, US
BAMONA record
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/1019767
San Diego County, California, US
BAMONA record
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/1019766
San Diego County, California, US
San Diego County, California, US
BAMONA record
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/1020055
Comentarios
Nice. Do you take the reflector off the clamp light? I feel like it might be good to have the light itself as visible as possible. Also, what's your battery setup? Car battery?
For the battery I use a Black & Decker 500-Watt Portable Power Station
https://www.google.com/#q=BLACK+%26+DECKER+500-Watt+Portable+Power+Station%09
I bought it at Lowes for around $100.
It weighs roughly 10 pounds so I don't carry it too far from the car but could if desired.
As for the reflector, I have been leaving it on so that I can direct the light to a certain spot. But i do plan on playing around with removing it to see if that makes a difference.
Just wanted to let you know I have this setup running as I type this and it's great. I usually use a BioQuip light, but I didn't really want to ship one to New England or buy another, so I followed your advice and went to Home Depot. I have have it on a work lamp with the cage removed, just hanging in front of the sheet, plugged into a wall outlet, so not really worrying about power. I know a guy who really likes the Goal Zero power packs, which would work with an AC setup like this. The light is nowhere near as bright in the visible range as the BioQuip lights, but the moths seem to like it just fine. Anyway, thanks for the tips!
Glad it's working for you. I've run both this set-up and a BioQuip one at the same time and have found that they attract different insects. I haven't done it enough to see if there is a pattern or not.
I agree, it isn't nearly as bright as the BioQuip model, but it is functional and the price can't be beat.
It could actually be as bright in the UV and we just can't see it. I'd love to see spectrometer readings on the two lights to compare. This post shows data for the Feit bulb. I've been using this observation field to track which insects I've attracted with a UV light, but maybe we should start tracking make/model of the bulb? Like "Attractant light make / model" or something?
I like that field. I've been using a different field for mine.
http://www.inaturalist.org/observation_fields/1010
I can start using the field that you are if you want to intermingle the data. It is probably a better overall field. By and large I am simply amazed at how many different taxa show up at a blacklight.
Cool! Do you need an inverter to use it with the battery?
That I don't know. I have an outdoor plug that so just plug it in there.
Neat...I've always wanted a moth trap or black light but never been able to afford it, and I've never met anyone who has had this setup. I might have to take a look into that. How do you stop the moths from circling around and leaving though? Do you have something for them to sit on other than the light itself?
Another quick question: are you able to take photographs at night or do you bring boxes for the good moths and keep them until morning?
I aim the light at the wall of my house and they sit there. When out in the field I'll hang a sheet.
As for photographing at night, I have a small handheld flashlight and the flash on my camera. Together it usually works well enough. The photos aren't going to make the cover of Moth Monthly but they are usually good enough for ID.
I have the parts on order from Amazon (btw, I set up my Amazon Smile account to donate to Sequoia Audubon, and You Can Too!), and am eager to try this where I am currently cat-sitting in Palo Alto. Bug lamp, here we come. But I am interested in you and @kueda are using the same observation field, and if I should too once this arrives (and the Big Fun arrives with it)?
Oh goddess - wait'll I take this set up to my mother-in-law's house in Florida...
I use the field "Black/UV Light Attracted" and toggle it to yes. I remember to do it most of the time, but not always.
It looks like Home Depot stopped selling the black light bulb. I asked them and they said it was discontinued. The website also no longer shows it.
Ah, that's too bad. I'm sure they have similar bulbs at WalMart or other like stores. I actually saw some yesterday at a Halloween store.
I haven't tried it, but I wonder how well something like this would work. At 395nm the wavelength is decent.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LRQ47Q8/ref=sspa_dk_detail_7?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B01LRQ47Q8&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=4b9303cf-595a-449a-b0d6-15d3b199056d&pf_rd_r=V0WAHQ930B5Z5PWY2MK5&pd_rd_wg=isVki&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&pd_rd_w=6qYiA&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pd_rd_r=8d3c8dc1-b200-11e8-861c-cd06ea1130b1
Are there any good options that don't require somewhere to plug in? But maybe battery-powered bulbs are not so good...
Check out https://calnature.org/blog/2017/9/27/diy-moth-light. I've been using a setup like that alongside a BioQuip light this summer. My experience has been that these cheap LEDs work just fine. The potential downsides are that I don't think the lights are as bright (impossible to tell without something to measure the UV), and the narrow wavelength might mean they draw in less stuff, but IMO, the cost and portability outweigh both of those. I've been using https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073Y7LRRT, which are nice b/c you can attach them end to end, along with a Anker PowerCore 26800, which is a somewhat more expensive battery than Damon described, but has never run out of juice.
This is another option I suppose. I've seen it in use and it isn't bad with a white sheet involved.
https://www.amazon.com/SE-FL999-6W-Jumbo-Black-Flashlight/dp/B00OOMYRXG/ref=pd_sim_328_12?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00OOMYRXG&pd_rd_r=986b972f-b1fd-11e8-8742-1712fd196554&pd_rd_w=xneWN&pd_rd_wg=pipIr&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=927de5f5-b69e-427f-88fd-1d020a551b5a&pf_rd_r=63B1WGS89Q1M7F0PV2JS&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=63B1WGS89Q1M7F0PV2JS
Looks like this might be the closest replacement to Damon's setup light right now:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075K6NM8F/ref=ox_sc_mini_detail?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2XMT4I8CH00V7
Would this light work?
https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lighting-and-electrical/light-bulbs/led-bulbs/3826856
or this one?
https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lighting-and-electrical/flashlights-and-lanterns/flashlights/3432978
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