Hobbies And Interests
Berlese Funnels
Berlese funnels are used to trap insects. Many insects will dig into soil, leaves or other decaying matter and make their homes there. To extract these insects from their home, a large amount of matter is collected and put into the mouth of the funnel, which is generally very large. A light is suspended above the mouth of funnel. In order to get away from the light and heat, they will crawl to the back of the funnel and drop into the jar. Once in, the lid should be tightly closed.
Light Traps
The two main types of light traps are regular light traps and black light traps. Just like light bulbs can attract many insects, so can the light trap. A large funnel will be placed over the rim of a bucket or other type of container. A light will hang suspended over the bucket. As insects come to inspect the light source, they will fall into the funnel and then end up in the container. The black light trap works similar to the regular light trap, except that an ultraviolet light is being used. This trap is generally used to attract insects at night. A white sheet is hung in front of the light, and the white sheet has either a sticky or killing agent on it. As insects go to inspect the light, they get stuck to the sheet. The insects can then be collected in the morning.
Nets
The three standard types of insect nets are sweeping, aerial and aquatic. All nets, however, are constructed the same way. They have a wood or metal pole that is attached to a mesh or cloth bag. Nets come in a variety of sizes, from ones with very short poles to ones with very long poles and large nets. The sweeping nets are generally constructed with canvas, allowing the net to be dragged through deep woods or thick vegetation without getting smashed. These nets allow users to capture insects that they can't even see. The aerial nets are generally not very heavy, and they usually have white mesh bags. These nets are used to capture insects in flight or those in branches, and can also be used to capture quick-moving insects. The aquatic nets usually have very thick bags and poles, and are used to capture insects that either live in or sit atop water sources.