Light Lures Insects

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31586, 25 January 1968, Page 1

Light Lures Insects

(N.Z. Press Association) BLENHEIM, Jan. 24. Mr A. Black, a market gardener on the main highway between Blenheim and Woodbourne, believes he has the answer to the insect problem. He has something like 100,000 of them—not counting the small ones—to show for it. Last October Mr Black placed an ulta-violet light tube in a part of his garden not far from the house. Since then he has hardly been troubled by beetles, moths, mosquitoes or the myriad other nocturnal insects. Mr Black tried a small light trap and the results were so encouraging that he decided on the larger model, which he designed and installed himself. On calm nights he switches on, and every bug that comes Scholarship Results:—R. B. Walton (Christ’s College), with 629 marks, passed with credit in the University Junior Scholarship examination. His name was omitted from the list printed yesterday. Two scholarships were gained by pupils of Cashmere High School, not one as reported in “The Press” yesterday.

within a radius of a mile of the light, he estimates, is attracted—with fatal results. Once the insect gets near the light it loses wing velocity and drops into a preparation of water, detergent and kerosene. Last night was a good one and this morning the tray was i thick with thousands of i beetles, moths, bugs, and flies. Mr Black estimates that < since he installed the trap at ' the beginning of October some 100,000 larger bugs have i

fallen victim. He does not count mosquitoes, flies, and small insects. Mr Black sees the trap as an answer to the porina and brown beetle threats to pasture. The bulk of his catch has been these types of insect. In past years insects have stripped Mr Black’s trees and attacked his plants. But this season, for a few cents a night, he has powered the ultra-violet lamp and done both himself and his neighbours a good turn.