Insects can be a fascinating study subject or an irritating pest.
Insects' senses vary from mammals, and one of the most important traits they have is their ability to perceive heat. Insects, especially blood drinkers like mosquitoes, use heat detection as a means of hunting prey, focusing in on big heat sources like big animals as good food sources. Clever use of an infrared light source can give you a chance to either study the insects in your garden up close, or get rid of them. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Take a two-litre plastic bottle and measure 18 cm up from its base using a tape measure. Wrap the tape measure around the bottle to use as a guide to draw a circle around the bottle at the 18 cm mark using a marker. Take a utility knife and cut around the width of this circle, discarding the top of the bottle.
2. Take a roll of black masking tape and wrap it around the bottom of the plastic bottle until the bottom appears covered in black.
3. Wait until nightfall then turn on a battery-operated infrared light and place it at the bottom of the bottle in your garden.
4. Wait 30 minutes and then place a piece of 25 cm by 15 cm cardboard over the open end of the bottle to seal in the insects that have been attracted to the light.
Tags: around bottle, infrared light, plastic bottle, tape measure, your garden