Making a pitfall trap
![making a pitfall trap making a pitfall trap](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/sZlQ4hS_87s/maxresdefault.jpg)
And Sam and Luke are very keen to find out what's in these pitfall traps, but we're not going to find out yet.
![making a pitfall trap making a pitfall trap](https://feelslikehomeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/make-a-bug-trap-together-kids-science-project-at-home-600x427.jpg)
So why don't you have a go at home? Try and find out the different places you can put the traps and see what you get. One of them is in the shade, one of them is quite far away from the border of the lawn and one of them is close to that border. One of the is on the lawn itself and the others are in the soil. So just to recap what Ed said there, we've got four pitfall traps here in slightly different positions. You could do that if you're careful but you should ask your parents first.ĭerek - Yes we must be careful to make sure that no-one decimates their parents' lovely lawn here. I've had the permission of the gardeners here in zoology. I've also put some beneath a hedge and I've put some into the lawns as well. How can you do that?Įd - Well what I've done is use some bamboo poles but you can use anything at all to hold it off the surface.ĭerek - Now we're actually at the New Museum's Site in Cambridge and we've set up some pitfall traps already, but what are the kinds of places we can set them up in?Įd - What I've done here is to actually put some traps in the border in the loose soil. Anything like that really.ĭerek - And suspending it above the cup to protect it from the rain. Is there anything else they can use to protect it?Įd - Yes, absolutely anything. What you could also do is put half a bucket over the top of it to protect it from the rain.ĭerek - Obviously people might be thinking that they don't want to cut up their bucket at home.
![making a pitfall trap making a pitfall trap](http://archiv.bogenhofen.at/gymnasium/projekt_comenius/images/trap.gif)
Just dig a small hole, put the cup in and make sure the surface of it is completely flat with the soil, so that any insects walking along can easily walk into it. Don'' dig up the middle of your lawn or anything like that.
#MAKING A PITFALL TRAP PATCH#
All you need are some plastic cups and you need to find a patch in your garden where you can safely dig. What do you have to do?Įd - Well it's very very easy.
#MAKING A PITFALL TRAP HOW TO#
And yourself?ĭerek - So Ed, what we need to know is how to make these traps, because people at home can do this as well and they've been encouraged to do this over the past week. Sam - I've loved them since I was very very little.ĭerek - That's absolutely fantastic. So guys, could you give me your names and what school you're from? We've also got some volunteers who have come along to help us out. Would you please introduce yourself for us.Įd - Hi my name's Ed Turner and I work at the zoology department here in Cambridge and also with the Wildlife Trusts.ĭerek - Ok and I gather you set up some experiments to catch insects for us?Įd - Yes, what we've done here is set up some pitfall traps to catch some insects.ĭerek - Fantastic. And we're doing this with the help of one chap who's come to help us out. Of course, we are now in National Insect Week so we're all very excited about the science experiment we're going to do this week because we're going to be catching insects. Derek - Hello there and this week we've come to the Museum of Zoology at the University of Cambridge for National Insect Week.