A Simple Metamorphosis: Moth Traps

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Moth Traps

All the 'fixin's' to make codling moth traps...

Prior to moving here and having our own fruit trees, I had no idea what a codling moth was...I'd never heard of one. Well, you've heard of wormy apples, right? Apparently, most of those worms are codling moth larve. There are a number of ways of killing, trapping and preventing codling moths AND their larve. I found two that we will employ both of which are homemade and biodegradable/natural.

You start with a gallon container from milk or OJ. We happen to have quite a few of these since we stopped milking Sass in December. I'd been saving them for something, but until this spring, I wasn't sure what! Anyway, you basically mix water, molasses and vinegar and then add a splash of ammonia (lemon scent is optional!). This all goes into the bottom of the jug. Prior to filling it, you cut a 2 inch hole just below the 'shoulder' of the container. Once it's filled, you hang it from the trees - up to three per tree depending on the size of the tree. When I made these, it was crazy windy, so I held off on hanging them. Here they are all sitting on a shelf in our dinning room.

The completed traps just waiting to be hung from the trees.

I also plan to use the method of wrapping the base of the tree with corrugated cardboard to encourage any ground larve to nest there, instead of in the apples. That'll be something we'll put out later in the season.

Remember my pledge to RE-cycle? Well, on my second ride, I picked up a powerade bottle. My plan is to use it to make another codling moth trap (slightly modified for half a recipe of liquid). I've also repurposed the tray I picked up on my first ride and the CD I picked up on our ride this past Saturday. The CD will be hung from the sprinkler head in the garden as a deterent to birds.