UV light traps - how far above the ground?

[O.G. Marti, Jr.]

> Hi,
>
> Lets get back to leps. I would like to start a new thread. With
> January nearly over and the collecting season fast approaching, I
> would appreciate it if those of you with experience in using UV light
> traps would share your ideas about how far off the ground they should
> be positioned. I have the impression that getting them off the ground,
> either on a stand or hanging from a tree branch or other support, is
> better and I would like to experiment with some new ideas. I realize
> that wind velocity generally increases as you get above from the
> ground. This being the case, what are your ideas about anchoring the
> trap? Do you have any recommendations about the construction of stands
> (steel or wood, leg length, etc)?
>
> Charley
> Dr. Charles Bird, Box 22, Erskine, Alberta, Canada, T0C 1G0
>
 
Take a look at this photo from my web site:
http://sacs.cpes.peachnet.edu/ibpmrl/martphot.HTM
 
That's me collecting leps in French Guiana in 1987, about 3 km west of the
village of Kaw.  There are actually three mercury vapor bulbs, one of which
you see in the picture; another is on the other side of the sheet, and the
third is on a pole about 6 feet above the lower bulbs.  The results?
Fantastic if you had never before collected in the tropics.  What's not visible
in this picture are the myriads of leps and other insects swirling around the
lights, especially the upper one.  While this setup was not a trap, per se, it
was a useful arrangement for collecting insects---as is generally well
known.  I have also had success collecting in French Guiana, Guadeloupe,
and the southern US with only one bulb near the sheet---that is convenient
for quick setup and takedown.
Sincerely,
 
 
 
 
Orville G. Marti, Jr., Microbiologist
USDA, ARS, IBPMRL
PO Box 748
Tifton, GA.  31793
 
omarti at tifton.cpes.peachnet.edu
Phone: 912-387-2328  (office)
Phone: 912-387-2350  (lab)
FAX  : 912-387-2321
WEB: http://sacs.cpes.peachnet.edu/ibpmrl
 
 
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