Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain Floating Beetle Trap

Time to deploy my floating Japanese Beetle traps. They worked really well last year. Thousands of beetles came and were gobbled up by schools of bluegills and LMB's. At times there were carpets of beetles with 50+ fish feeding. I don't know if they effectively put weight on the fish (I think they do) but it is fun to watch the fish feed. build one yourself and see:

Cut the bottom from a plastic water jug from the office or Home Depot. file and tape the sharp edge I used automotive weather stripping.

Get an inner tube from truckers Supply size 400/480-8 Part # LTT-400

order beetle trap (top only)
http://www.snow-pond.com/TrapLure/traplure.html
roughen up surface of jug and glue on with goop

Anchor where you can watch Finished product:

Redfishman,

Great Idea since your fish like them! Mine didn't care to much for them for some reason. Anybody else have that problem? Maybe because mine were dead already and stinky and they want live ones?

Redfish man - You are clever. Practically all insects are high in protein, but not all insects are "tasty". Obviously your bgill have a taste for Jap beetles.

Every August-September, we get loads of these big, brown horseflys about 2" long (I suppose it's because of all the big, brown horses). Most days I can catch 6-10 on the window screens in my garage. They go into the feed pail with the fish food and back to the pond - it let's me feed something I can watch the LMB (non-pellet trained) eat.

Those big bug eating bass could probably easily learn to eat pieces of hot dogs.

I tried dead beetles first but they didn't seem to like them unless they were still squirming .. thus the idea for a floating live trap.

The snapping turtles eat the hot dogs.

Redfishman: Do you have any trouble with the traps blowing / falling over due to waves / wind? Thanks! Jeff

Remembering Redfishman's experience, I drove a steel pole into pond bank this morning and hung a Safer beetle trap (with bottom of bag cut off) from it so bottom of bag just touching the water.

Checked it later today and beetles were converging on it and fish were feeding like crazy as the beetles hit the water and started floating.