How to build your own moth trap - video guides

Tom.bio, our previous project, worked with moth trap designer Paul Palmer to produce a series of short films, designed to accompany his book 'How to Build Your Own Moth Trap'.  Paul has designed a low cost, lightweight and highly portable moth trap which can be easily built at home using household tools and a few bits of specialist equipment. Full instructions, equipment lists and suggestions for where to source materials from are all given in his book; however these films will walk you through the construction process and demonstrate some of the trickier parts of the process.  

We strongly recommend you purchase Paul's book before you embark on your moth trap adventure.  The book can be purchased through Amazon or ordered from any bookshop:

  • ISBN-10: 1523690631
  • ISBN-13: 978-1523690633  

Paul has written a Tom.bio guest blog about the design of the moth trap - read it here.  

Deploying the trap

Please note that when using the moth trap, you need to place it slightly differently from a standard MV/actinic trap.  These moth traps use a 0.75W UV LED which is much lower powered than used in other traps and work best in sheltered places away from other lights. Good results will usually be obtained by placing the traps under tree canopies or even in the open spaces directly under scrub. If you leave the traps overnight, be sure to select locations shaded from the rising sun. Paul sets eight traps when doing survey work, and has found that catches can vary considerably even between traps only 10 meters apart.

A final note of caution. The LEDs used are a source of Ultra-Violet light, albeit at low power, and do not represent a hazard to casual passers by. However you should not stare into the light source, especially at close range (less than 300mm), and you should not handle the LEDs while they are illuminated.

1. Making the cone

If you'd prefer, you can watch the film directly from our youTube channel.

 

2. Wiring the electronics

If you'd prefer, you can watch the film directly from our youTube channel.

 

3. Cutting out the bucket lid

If you'd prefer, you can watch the film directly from our youTube channel.

 

4. Making the baffles and lamp holder

If you'd prefer, you can watch the film directly from our youTube channel.

 

5. Assembling the trap

If you'd prefer, you can watch the film directly from our youTube channel.