On 29 Aug 2004 04:18:45 GMT, atespam (Halcitron)
wrote:

Five Gallon Bucket Fly Traps

http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd/Horses/FlyTrap/index.html




caveat lector

Halcitron misc.survivalism alt.survival
"Failing to prepare.... Is preparing to fail."
NRA Member since 2002
The Law of the Land, is the weapon in your hand.

Smith & Wesson starts where the Bill of Rights stop.

No 220-pound thug can threaten the well-being or dignity of a 110-pound
woman who has two pounds of iron to even things out. Is that evil?
Is that wrong? People who object to weapons aren't abolishing violence,
they're begging for the rule of brute force, when the biggest, strongest
animals among men were always automatically "right". Guns end that,
and social democracy is a hollow farce without an armed populace to make
it work.
- L. Neil Smith

Gunner wrote in message . ..
On 29 Aug 2004 04:18:45 GMT, atespam (Halcitron)
wrote:

Five Gallon Bucket Fly Traps

http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd/Horses/FlyTrap/index.html


So for bait he uses fermented yeast? I've been looking for bait ideas.
I refit those $5 bag type traps you can buy at the hardware store with
clear one gallon jugs. It works but is not all that mechanically sound
when hanging in a tree. This bucket scheme looks interesting. I have
have always wondered though whether the trap was really catching as
many flies as it seemed or whether they were just reproducing, living,
and dying inside the trap. I'd like to to be able to kill them once
they enter to eliminate that possibility.

Dave

Dave wrote: ...
I have always wondered though whether the trap was really catching as
many flies as it seemed or whether they were just reproducing, living,
and dying inside the trap. ...

My understanding is that flies reproduce by laying their eggs on/in
something that the larvae (i.e., maggots) can eat. E.g., a carcass.
There would be nothing like that in the trap. Bob

Bob Engelhardt wrote in message ...
Dave wrote: ...
I have always wondered though whether the trap was really catching as
many flies as it seemed or whether they were just reproducing, living,
and dying inside the trap. ...

My understanding is that flies reproduce by laying their eggs on/in
something that the larvae (i.e., maggots) can eat. E.g., a carcass.
There would be nothing like that in the trap. Bob

The bait in the trap is a foul broth, the stench of which attracts the
flies, and maggots can always be seen living in it.

Dave wrote:
The bait in the trap is a foul broth, the stench of which attracts the
flies, and maggots can always be seen living in it.

But the bait isn't actually _in_ the trap - it's underneath. Once a fly
is _in_ the trap, it can't lay it's eggs in the bait. Bob

If the purpose of the bait is to smell bad. Can you put a piece of screen
over the bait cup. This would let the odor out, but not let the flies in to
lay eggs.


"Bob Engelhardt" wrote in message
...
Dave wrote:
The bait in the trap is a foul broth, the stench of which attracts the
flies, and maggots can always be seen living in it.

But the bait isn't actually _in_ the trap - it's underneath. Once a fly
is _in_ the trap, it can't lay it's eggs in the bait. Bob

Bob Engelhardt wrote in message ...
Dave wrote:
The bait in the trap is a foul broth, the stench of which attracts the
flies, and maggots can always be seen living in it.

But the bait isn't actually _in_ the trap - it's underneath. Once a fly
is _in_ the trap, it can't lay it's eggs in the bait. Bob

Ah, that is a refinement over what I have seen.

"Chief McGee" wrote in message news:%8OYc.72808$9d6.70587@attbi_s54...
"Bob Engelhardt" wrote:

But the bait isn't actually _in_ the trap - it's underneath. Once a fly
is _in_ the trap, it can't lay it's eggs in the bait. Bob

If the purpose of the bait is to smell bad. Can you put a piece of screen
over the bait cup. This would let the odor out, but not let the flies in to
lay eggs.

After re-reading the instructions I finally see what is being
suggested. The trap merely sits over the bait cup. He doesn't mention
adding a screen over the bait cup but that would be a trivial
addition. Interesting that the trap does not catch the flies on their
way to the bait but only as they try to leave the bait or as they
search the area around the bait.

Dave

A curious thing about flies (and other daytime flying insects) is that
they will usually fly towards the most light. So lots of bug traps work
by drawing the flies in through a small dark opening (usually by scent)
and then having a bright area above which they will instinctively fly
towards once they're done with the bait. There are hundreds of designs
that use this principle. One of the most elegant I've seen was a sphere
of brass mesh with a flared hole in the bottom that sat on little legs
over the bait dish. Looked like an old time hot air balloon, was nice
enough to be part of the centerpiece on a table and caught yellow
jackets like crazy.

Jim

Jim McGill wrote:
... was nice
enough to be part of the centerpiece on a table ...

And presumably did not rotting stuff as bait :-) Bob

Bob

Nope, it had raw hamburger, which yellow jackets will go to the mat for.

Jim

On Wed, 01 Sep 2004 09:05:17 -0700, Jim McGill
wrote:

Bob

Nope, it had raw hamburger, which yellow jackets will go to the mat for.

Jim
In my experience, orange pop beats just about anything to attract
yellow jackets.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

Gunner wrote in message . ..
On 29 Aug 2004, atespam (Halcitron) wrote:

Five Gallon Bucket Fly Traps

http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd/Horses/FlyTrap/index.html



Ok, I built one. Stapling the screenwire was a bit annoying. Now I
don't know what to do with it. It is so light it will be blown over in
any windstorm. Also the dogs might knock it over. I guess I will strap
it to a fence post. Don't know if I want to put feet on it or just
hang the bottom under it on wires.

Well that "bait" sure sounds interesting!

If you cut way back on the yeast and add more sugar you get two of the
normal ingredients for homebrew.

Now just add a little flavoring and let sit for the same amount of time.

Bottle. Enjoy. :-)

OK. I missed a couple of the fine points, but...

DOC


"Dave" wrote in message
om...
Gunner wrote in message
. ..
On 29 Aug 2004, atespam (Halcitron) wrote:

Five Gallon Bucket Fly Traps

http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd/Horses/FlyTrap/index.html



Ok, I built one. Stapling the screenwire was a bit annoying. Now I
don't know what to do with it. It is so light it will be blown over in
any windstorm. Also the dogs might knock it over. I guess I will strap
it to a fence post. Don't know if I want to put feet on it or just
hang the bottom under it on wires.

"Gerald Miller" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 01 Sep 2004 09:05:17 -0700, Jim McGill
wrote:

Bob

Nope, it had raw hamburger, which yellow jackets will go to the mat for.

Jim
In my experience, orange pop beats just about anything to attract
yellow jackets.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

We've had a banner year for yellowjackets on Vancouver Island.
I've settled on a mixture of apple juice, honey and yeast in my
traps, it seems to simulate over-ripe fruit and they love it. I've had
them fly into the traps while I'm hanging them in the tree, yikes!
Brian, in Cedar