Take a walk on the 'dark side'?

[Rick Van de Poll]

To all you butterfly lovers...

Last night I was encouraged to witness the start of another season for us Lep inclined folks - the first sallow moth was flying about!

As most of you know, many moths are over-winterers like many of our brushfoots, yet emerge almost a full month before our butterfly friends (and they tend to fly well after our last brushfoot has headed for the woods, quite literally!). I find the emergence of sallow moths, other than the ones I'm about to take out of my sap buckets, quite pleasing indeed! Sort of like the first turkey vulture I saw in the neighborhood yesterday.

For some 'dark side' fun, if you haven't tried it, I suggest you put out some bait on your favorite backyard trees and see who shows up. Long ago, I got a recipe from Dave Wagner for painting trees: 1 over-ripe banana, 2 tbl molasses, and 1 cup of stale beer. Mash this all up and apply with a brush on a 4 - 6" x 10 - 12" swatch of tree bark, hardwoods preferred. Wait til after dusk - I find that 9-ish is good but really anytime before dawn will do - and Viola! Moths at your doorstep!

Of course, the porch light guys will be coming in too, but I don't always see those really cool Lithophanes or Pyreferras at the lights, but put out the banana bait, and get ready to count and photograph away!

Have Fun!

Rick

PS. Many people have asked me about which beer to use, and I always say, a good hoppy one will do, although not your favorite because then it will be hard to let it go stale!

[George DeWolf]

Sounds like a fun experiment, Rick—one worth sacrificing 8 ounces of my favorite IPA. Unfortunately, it’ll have to be from my good stash, as I’m not inclined to spend my hard-earned money on inferior beer. 🙂