I got something similar a few decades ago with the intent to make it run off of solar, but never got around to it.
Now I'm not even sure where it is.
How's it working for you?
Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:" "She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."
Sunil, thanks for asking, It works good. I tried it with a fan blade first, but I think it works better with the trimmer string. There is something addictive about going to the dock at night and watching bugs get knocked to the water where hungry fish are waiting! I was going to use a photo cell for the light and a timer on the fan, but I decided to put them on switches instead. I turn the light on for a while then hit the fan switch. It only draws 28 watts(fan and light), so it will run on a 1200 WH battery easily all night, if you need it to. I leave a green underwater light on all night already, so the bug slapper is just for fun.
Tony can we get some pictures of the inside of this? Sounds like it could be a fairly ez diy project. Love watching the fish eat. It's hard to run out of bugs here in Kansas.
This is great! More info please? What size battery runs over night, a trolling motor battery? How does that get recharged if not solar? How do you weather proof the battery and wires if they sit outside
For the standard bulb socket in the dog bowl above, what type light or color is best, LED, standard (is heat needed?), any specific color (like warm light vs cool white) Or is color like green or red best?
How heavy does the string or line have to be to disable the bugs as it goes around? I assume it can't be flexible like 30# test mono? Does it have to be something akin to string trimmer line? One strand coming off center mount OK or is it best to have a 2 strands 180 degree opposite like a string trimmer?
Sorry, just trying to save a lot of trial and error and do overs on my end. I have an option for AC power and bought a AC fan that you put in a heating duct to boost flow. I thought that would give me the tube and the motor and the power plug already. I would have to remove the fan blades and find a way to attach a 'wire' to whip around. Then find a way to add light above it, then waterproof it since it is AC power rather than DC. I like the simplicity and safety of the DC option though
canyoncreek, have you looked at the freshflo bug lite or the bo jo lite, it is similar to those, I wanted one but couldn't find a DC model. I have a solar box that I use for power, the battery is a 12v 100 ah . I have not played around with light color yet.
Can you see this picture? i am trying to use a MacBook Pro
Yes I can see the picture but it doesn't show the inside of the light housing. I have to figure out how to attach a 'wire' or strand of string tripper line to a tiny rotating shaft. The idea to use a RV fan motor is a good one but I don't know how to attach a wire to that slippery shaft.
If I have a standard base light socket then it is easy to play with different color bulbs, LED vs CFL and different brightness
I imagine the light has to be IN the housing, above the wire, or maybe not, maybe the light source could be 6 or 8' up above the pond and the bugs in the vicinity would still seek out the inside of the housing? Is heat as important as the light?
I won't be doing solar so would have to do a large battery with an option to go back and recharge it manually from time to time (light/fan would have to go on a timer then) or I could be completely ridiculous and make a DC setup with a battery, DC motor, DC light and then put a battery tender with AC plug to my power source to keep the battery charged.
I cut off the blades of the fan so you are just left with the hub, then drill small holes in the hub for the trimmer string to fit, then put a dab of super glue.
ods: Each night for a summer, one of six types of light bulb was used in a baffle/funnel insect trap. Bulbs were scheduled so that the moon's irradiance was equalized across treatments. Meteorological variables were somewhat equalized by bulb scheduling and otherwise partialled out as covariates. Mean capture rates of total insects and several insect Orders were compared between the bulb types using ANOVA. Results: A total of n = 8887 insects and spiders were captured. The incandescent bulb had the highest capture rate, followed by CFL, halogen, LED with a cool color temperature, and the "bug" light. An LED with a warm color temperature had the lowest capture rate. Similar patterns held for individual Orders. A notable exception was the "bug" light captured significantly more Dermaptera (earwigs) than all other bulbs and significantly more Hemiptera (true bugs) than the warm LED bulb.
The "bug" light that is referred to is a yellow led bulb.
Thank you for this! How interesting that the LED and the bug light was outperformed and that cool color (higher kelvin) was better than warm (lower kelvin)
You better take those leds out of that fixture in the pictures above and swap the old fashioned (banned) incandescent lights. Maybe they put out more wavelengths of light or maybe it is simply the heat and light combo that outperforms bulbs that do light without heat.
I have a box of incandescent and an even bigger box of twisty (CFL) bulbs in my basement so I should be all set.
Since I'm trying to stay all DC, It will be a trade off- watts drawn vs bugs drawn. led=7 watts, incandescent=60watts.
If this doesn't draw enough bugs I may try automotive light sockets with incandescent bulbs.
The light that I am using now has a 10 w led flood light, it seems to draw a fair amount of bugs, but maybe I will experiment with this other light. I am thinking, for a test, maybe build a row of light sockets and try different bulbs and colors. Leave them on all night and take pictures. ..
wbuffetjr, I would be glad to... but, I don't know how to post a video! I'm a mechanical guy. I borrow my wife's phone for pictures because I still have a flip phone! Maybe I can ask my son for help, again!
After much pulling of the hair out, I think I got a video to load. not because of the forum but because I am not good with computer. You have to look close at the water to see the little fish feeding on the bugs
Unfortunately when you uploaded it to youtube you chose the category as 'private video' which means only those with an invite can view it. You can go to your youtube channel and change the setting to make it public and then we should be able to view it.