Sugaring Recipes to Attract Moths

Many moths will come to lights at night, but if you really want to sample the species in an area, you should try sugaring for moths. Sugaring or baiting is an effective and fun way to attract moths to an area. The bait is usually a mixture of fermenting fruit, sugar, and alcohol. When sugaring for moths, you apply the bait mixture to tree trunks, fence posts, stumps, or other structures, usually around dusk. After dark, you visit your bait sites at regular intervals of time to collect or photograph any moths. You can try sugaring for moths any time of the year, but youll have the best results if the temperature remains above 50 °F. Warm, muggy nights are ideal for baiting moths. Making a Sugar Bait for Moths Every moth enthusiast or entomologist I know has their own favorite recipe for sugar bait. The key to effective bait is making a concoction with a strong odor to attract the moths, and a sweet taste to keep the moths around. Finding a mixture that yields good results may take a bit of trial and error on your part. Start with this basic recipe, and modify it to your liking. Basic Sugar Bait Recipe to Attract Moths brown sugaroverripe bananasbeer (stale beer is preferable)molasses Were not baking a cake here, so theres no need to measure anything. Making a good bait for sugaring moths is more a matter of consistency than it is of proportion. You should try to achieve a consistency thick enough to keep it from dripping, but thin enough to spread with a paintbrush. Crush up the ripe bananas and mix them in. Use enough beer to dissolve the sugar. Stir it all together until you have a thick but fluid bait mixture. Some people prefer to age their sugaring bait, by letting it sit at room temperature for a few days. This will allow it to ferment, which will make the bait all the more attractive to the moths. If you choose to do this, dont put your mixture in an airtight container. Use a loose-fitting lid, or cover the container with a paper towel held in place with a rubber band. If you have any stale or skunky beer around, heres your chance to put it to good use. Moths dont mind a stale beer. Other Sugar Bait Ingredients Really, the fun part of sugaring for moths is creating your own perfect bait recipe. Try some of these ideas to modify the basic recipe, and see what works best to attract moths. dry yeast - if youre going to let your mixture sit and ferment, this may be a good addition to tryrumsweet liqueurs, like schnappswhite sugar – can be substituted for brown sugarhoneymaple syruprotting watermelon – some moth enthusiasts swear by watermelon, claiming its the best moth attractant you can findfermenting peaches, pears, or applesblack treacle – a sweet syrup produced when sugar is refinedcola – some people like to simmer the cola, stirring in sugar and perhaps some molasses until it dissolvesorange soda – open it and let it sit for a while, so it goes flat Applying the Sugar Bait to Attract Moths Now that youve mixed your sugar bait, its time to do some mothing! Youll need a paintbrush to apply the concoction. A 3-4 width paintbrush is ideal for this purpose. Take your mixture to the area where you hope to collect moths, and choose a few tree trunks or fence posts that are easily accessible. Paint the mixture on these locations, making about a 12-inch square (smaller, obviously, if the tree trunk isnt that wide) at eye level. If youre planning to photograph the moths, keep that in mind when applying the sugar bait. Make sure the ground is clear of debris or undergrowth, so you can collect or photograph any moths easily. I recommend sugaring the trees around dusk, so the scents of a fresh batch of bait are wafting through the air just when the night-flying moths are waking up from their naps. When youre applying the bait, remember that other insects (ants, anyone?) may enjoy a sugary snack, too. If you want to find moths, you need to be careful not to spill the bait solution as you walk around the area. Dont let the bait mixture drip down the tree trunk, either. You need to make a nice, neat square of sugar bait, without creating trails for ants to follow. If it drips, its not thick enough and you should go back to the kitchen. Adding molasses will usually do the trick. Some people recommend using the bait mixture as a barrier, to keep hungry ants from reaching the bait square intended for moths. Try painting a ring of the sugar bait around the tree trunk, several feet below the moth bait, and also several feet above the moth bait. This should effectively intercept any ants, and keep them preoccupied and away from the moths. Checking the Bait for Moths Now its just a matter of sitting and waiting for the moths to find your irresistibly stinky bait. Youll probably notice the most moth action between the hours of 10 pm and 1 am but check your bait sites every half hour or so. Be careful you dont spook the moths! Dont shine your flashlight directly at the moths. Flashlights with a red filter, or with red LED lights, will make it easier to observe the moths without disturbing them. Keep your flashlight pointing down toward the ground as you approach. As moths in the area detect the scent of the bait, they will fly to the site to investigate. Youll see moths resting on the areas where you applied the bait.   Sources: Discovering Moths: Nighttime Jewels in Your Own Backyard, by John Himmelman Sugaring for Moths, Catocala website, accessed November 19, 2012 Sugaring for Moths, University of Washington, accessed November 19, 2012Sugar Baits for Moths, National Moth Week, accessed November 19, 2012Sugaring for Moths  (PDF), Michigan Entomological Society, accessed November 19, 2012Attracting Moths, Staffordshire Moth Group, accessed November 19, 2012