Best UV Light for Trap Collecting?

BobBarley

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Sep 16, 2015
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So I'm looking at starting to blacklight for beetles etc. at night this summer. However I'm up in the air on what blacklight to get. I don't want to spend too much on a full setup with a car battery and pvc pipe and all that so I figured the battery operated UV flashlights would be enough. However, I don't know which is the best to use.

Here are the two that I'm looking at:
$20 one https://www.amazon.com/Escolite-Fla...7&sr=8-12&keywords=blacklight+battery+powered

$40 one https://www.amazon.com/uvBeast-Blac...ons&keywords=blacklight+battery+powered&psc=1

Now obviously I would like to spend only $20 over $40 but if the $40 one is exponentially better then it could be worth it. Thoughts? If there are others you guys prefer let me know. Thanks!

For those of you that don't have a clue what I'm talking about, basically I'm going to stake a large, white tarp overlooking a hill that I know has tons of wildlife (with permission from the landowner) and angle the UV light at it to attract as many insects and other Arthropods as I can. I want to use this method so I can pick and choose what to collect and what to leave. Any tips are appreciated, thanks a bunch!
 

RTTB

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For black lighting scorpions I use the Kobra handheld flashlight. 6 AA batteries needed. I have 3 of them and they are under $30. Find them on eBay or Amazon. I don't see myself using any other as this black light is great.
 

pannaking22

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To blacklight for beetles you'll want to set up a sheet and everything too. Basically whichever light shines the brightest is the one I would go with because you'll get better attraction from the lit up sheet. I've tried using the flashlights before and haven't had great results (not enough light and I couldn't stand the sheet up), but a lot of it depends on location, time of year, how recently it rained, and where you are in the moon cycle.
 

pannaking22

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You might be ok laying the sheet down in California though, especially in a flat area without a ton of tall vegetation.
 

BobBarley

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You might be ok laying the sheet down in California though, especially in a flat area without a ton of tall vegetation.
To blacklight for beetles you'll want to set up a sheet and everything too. Basically whichever light shines the brightest is the one I would go with because you'll get better attraction from the lit up sheet. I've tried using the flashlights before and haven't had great results (not enough light and I couldn't stand the sheet up), but a lot of it depends on location, time of year, how recently it rained, and where you are in the moon cycle.
Thanks! Yeah I ordered the $40 one, should be arriving today. I'll be on the side of a hill, with not much immediate vegetation. I'll set my sheet on the side of the hill. I'm using a circle of white tablecloth that's 84" in diameter as my white sheet to reflect light. I'm going to angle the flashlight downwards from the top of the circle so that as much of the light falls on the sheet as possible. The area is extremely beautiful, about 20 feet from a river. Deer are sighted frequently, and last time I went, deer tracks were absolutely everywhere.

I'll update with how it goes. :)
 

The Snark

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Just wanted to mention something that may be relevant. Around here, primarily rice farms, insects are a constant ongoing problem, especially beetles. One method the farmers have worked out is the use of a simple old style fluorescent tube type light, usually 2 or 4 footers, mounted on the end of a 20 to 30 foot bamboo pole.
In problematic areas you may encounter swaths of land adjacent to the rice fields set aside specifically for this purpose. The poles and large plastic tarps beneath dotting the landscape. The light emitted by those lights extends quite a way towards the UV spectrum.

What is even more interesting is the adjunct of modern HPS street lighting is the cause of similar concern. Even the orange color of these lights somehow attracts the various beetles. It is a little comical in our immediate area where, at great expense, they have installed proper HPS street lighting then the farmers get the local governments to cover some of the lights with a black bag or cloth that are adjacent to their rice fields.
Me thinking, voice in the wilderness: Hey people. It's easier to climb a 35 foot street light pole and cover the lights than to just install a switch in the service access panel?
 

The Snark

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A little extra trick some locals use. They hang the florescent lights over canals and rivers. The waterways beneath having gill nets set out: lights = beetles and bugs = fish feeding frenzy. Sort of like chumming.
 

darkness975

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Aug 31, 2012
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So I'm looking at starting to blacklight for beetles etc. at night this summer. However I'm up in the air on what blacklight to get. I don't want to spend too much on a full setup with a car battery and pvc pipe and all that so I figured the battery operated UV flashlights would be enough. However, I don't know which is the best to use.

Here are the two that I'm looking at:
$20 one https://www.amazon.com/Escolite-Fla...7&sr=8-12&keywords=blacklight+battery+powered

$40 one https://www.amazon.com/uvBeast-Blac...ons&keywords=blacklight+battery+powered&psc=1

Now obviously I would like to spend only $20 over $40 but if the $40 one is exponentially better then it could be worth it. Thoughts? If there are others you guys prefer let me know. Thanks!

For those of you that don't have a clue what I'm talking about, basically I'm going to stake a large, white tarp overlooking a hill that I know has tons of wildlife (with permission from the landowner) and angle the UV light at it to attract as many insects and other Arthropods as I can. I want to use this method so I can pick and choose what to collect and what to leave. Any tips are appreciated, thanks a bunch!

https://www.amazon.com/Blacklight-U...727&sr=8-18&keywords=uv+blacklight+flashlight


Basically any of the lights on Amazon will work. Some of them are better than others for long term shining, wider illuminated areas, etc.

Finding Scorpions must be so much fun. Too bad they are not native to this area of the country =/
 

BobBarley

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Sep 16, 2015
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https://www.amazon.com/Blacklight-U...727&sr=8-18&keywords=uv+blacklight+flashlight


Basically any of the lights on Amazon will work. Some of them are better than others for long term shining, wider illuminated areas, etc.

Finding Scorpions must be so much fun. Too bad they are not native to this area of the country =/
Yeah I decided to get the $40, it's really strong lol. The weather in central Cali has been really wacked up, it went down to the 70's here in June! Usually it's swimming time by like May 20th. I'm gonna wait for it to spike up again before I go blacklighting, but when I do, I'll update the thread with how it goes.
 

RTTB

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Dec 4, 2016
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Glad the Kobra light worked for you. I recommend getting a back up as well. You can never have too many. Those are some nice finds.
 
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