Yellow sticky traps

[Susan W]

I have a question for all of you on the Yellow Sticky Traps. Basically when and how effective, and also when not effective.
I have unknown somethings enjoying some of the seedlings. Most are outside, sheltered now, but in a few weeks much of this will be brought inside. Have you used them in containers of larger plants?

I stopped at a garden center today, and they don't have them, but talked positive on them. In checking on-line saw the yellow ones, also blue ones.

[DoubleDogFarm]

I'm interested also. At about $0.29 each they are a cheap experiment. 100 count @ $29.00 free shipping

I have Flea Beetle, Leaf Miner and occasionally Aphids. Any experience with Yellow sticky traps.

Eric

[applestar]

I've seen yellow white and blue -- different bugs are attracted to one of those colors. Also ones with printed gridlines for easier statistical count of captured bugs.

From reading, I gather many are used in conjunction with pheromone baits to detect arrival presence of specific pests -- sometimes to detect first arrival of male or female. At which point chemical or organic or predatorial control is applied or released.

I have cheaped out -- have had some success using various forms of grease (though I've been trying to use up a jar of old UNpetroleum jelly) slathered on colored weather resistant tape and/or recycled cut up colored plastic. You can use products like Tanglefoot if you have them -- I used mine up a while ago and haven't bought any more, but used to experiment in similar manner.

Some experimentation to find best orientation vertical or horizontal surface. Plastic cups/tubs = continuous cylindrical surface sometimes catches more than flat surface occupying similar footprint. Inexpensive tape works for a long stretch, and pieces of duct tape for instant stick anywhere. Plastic fork makes good holder for a trap card or cup.

Indoor set up -- hanging traps just under the light catches a lot of bugs. Fungus gnats stay near soil surface so putting greased cup on available space on the soil flats between plants and putting a tape along the tray edge and then smearing -- actually used small disposable paintbrush -- with grease (leave enough tape loose for easy/mess-free peel up and throw away).

!! I don't do this outside -- I rely on Garden Patrol outside and traps like this will catch friend as well as foe.

[lily51]

All I have used are the yellow sticky traps, which I made sort of as described, but I just cut very bright yellow poster. Board into strips and card size and then coated. I hung.them in my greenhouse.two winters ago for white flies. They are attracted to yellow. I don't know what insects are attracted to other colors.
There weren't many of The Fly thank goodness so the traps worked well.
They can also be used as a way to see if pests are present in the first place.

[imafan26]

You can use a piece of wood painted yellow or blue. Very thin veneer wood is light or shims. Other things you can use is yellow plastic. I used to be able to find coffee can lids that were yellow, yellow butter containers. or plastic sheets (flexible cutting boards), folder dividers, or poster board. Plastic lasts longer and can be washed and reused. Paper and poster board eventually need to be replaced. Tanglefoot or vaseline works as the glue. It is messy and is best not to apply the grease on the edges so you will have someplace to hold.

The traps work on flying insects gnats, whiteflies and other swarmers. It does not catch everything and is useful for monitoring to see if you have a problem worth treating.

The down side is that it will also attract dirt, pollen and other debris in the air as well.

[digitS']

. . . all of you on the Yellow Sticky Traps. . .

Well, with a lot of effort, I have managed to pull free, Susan . . . Yeah, I hate handling the things! Use them every year on the indoor plants that have come in from outdoors. They catch the fungus gnats just fine.

Outdoors, I can imagine them being death for most everything, whether you wanted to catch them or not. One thing for sure, you won't be prying off a beneficial. Alive that is.

I wish they'd work on the fruit flies that show up in pesty numbers at this time of year! Zero success there. Do you think the blue color would work for fruit flies?? I'll put some vaseline on a piece of blue paper tonight!

Steve

[imafan26]

Fruit flies are attracted to either vinegar or yeast baits. It depends on the type of fruit fly you have.

I have the oriental and melon fruit flies here and they are attracted to yeast bait. Pretty much yeast and sugar in warm water in a bottle trap. Some fruit puree or fruit juice helps too. It traps both male and female, but the downside is that the trap is only effective for about 24 hours, because the yeast breaks down. Pheromone lures will attract males and that can work for three months or so.

[applestar]

My no-nonsense fruit fly trap for indoors with apologies to SusanW --

- Put a thumbnail sized piece of overripe fruit and/or banana peel in the bottom of a jar with approx 2" opening.
- add a splash of apple cider vinegar and fruit juice so the bait is partially submerged.
- twist a cone out of stiff card stock (I use magazine subscription or junk mail postcard) leaving a tiny opening at the cone tip and tape or staple in shape.
- put the paper cone with the pointed end in the jar opening, and securely tape onto the jar -- no gaps at all between the cone and the jar rim.
- place near where the fruitflies are congregating. Use multiple traps according to level of infestation.
- try to limit fruitflies' access to things you want to protect by putting them in screen or cloth-covered containers. If fruitflies have already had access put a trap INSIDE the enclosure to eliminate those inside.

The traps need to be reset within max 5 days before next generations of fruit flies start to hatch inside (though it's OK if they do -- it's just kind of gross). I dribble some soapy water into the paper cone opening, shake thoroughly to kill the fruit flies, then remove the tape and cone and wash the trap out.

[digitS']

Hmmm. This gives me some ideas to explore. I'm a little concerned that I may make the kitchen smell of decaying fruit and attract even more of the pests! Screens on every window & door - still they find their way in.

The only piece of blue paper I found had "Dad" written on it . . . and, I'm not willing to cut it up . The purple & green paper I came up with caught nothing overnight but the baskets of those tomatoes aren't quite ripe just yet. I see from a simple google search that blue sticky traps are used for thrips & leaf-miners. I wish something so simple would work for fruit flies. Maybe vaseline on the inside of a fruit peel . . ?

Between the melons and the tomatoes last week, it was no stealth attack by the fruit flies! They came in a swarm!

Steve

[applestar]

I've had my share of explosive fruitfly overpopulation.

Identify where they like to congregate -- in the kitchen, they seem to prefer white, shiny metal, and yellowish wood surfaces. They seem to pick specific perches and then go back/they all go there every time (probably leaves a "good spot" scent mark or something for others to return there.

They like corners and edges, and they are part "Monk" (TV detective series in which the main character named Monk compulsively touches anything that's sticking up like antenna, tops of parking meters, etc.) in that they perch on tops of bottles and knife handles sticking out of knife block.

I leave the vacuum cleaner permanently out during the invasion, and vacuum up with the suction wand every fruitfly I can find. They can usually be found in the same locations. (Also, there is inevitably ONE to few more that you won't notice until you're "finished" and have put vacuum cleaner away. )

Trick is to position the wand slightly above where they are perched. As soon as they are startled and a-wing, they will be sucked in. (think The Incredibles and Edna the superheroes costume designer saying "NOOO CAPES! NO CAPES!") -- I do, every time those buggers take off and get sucked in

[Juliuskitty]

I'm interested also. At about $0.29 each they are a cheap experiment. 100 count @ $29.00 free shipping

I have Flea Beetle, Leaf Miner and occasionally Aphids. Any experience with Yellow sticky traps.

Eric

Eric thats good to know there are cheap ones out there as I am paying almost a dollar apiece. Source please?

I found that they worked really well for whitflies and leafminer flies, they were stuck on by the thousands. First year I have not had a tomato get TYLCV due to them. They say the blue attracts thrips so I am trying those this season in addition.

[DoubleDogFarm]

http://www.amazon.com/100ea-Yellow-Stic ... icky+traps

Looks like a got the free shipping part wrong. They are about $0.35 each with shipping

Eric

[Susan W]

Great! Keep the comments coming along!

It seems the traps are an asset where one has a non-natural environment, such as a greenhouse, inside etc. I am looking at one sheltered area of the deck that has turned into nursery-childcare for the baby plants. The other obvious is inside, all too soon!

Fruit flies? Yes, a few around the small bowl of stuff waiting for the compost. When there are yummy peach and tomato parts get more, but then I dump more often.

I plan to order a small set each of the blue and yellow. A $12-15 investment worth a try to save that much and more in the plants.

[Juliuskitty]

http://www.amazon.com/100ea-Yellow-Sticky-Aphids-Fungus/dp/B005F5KZDW/ref=sr_1_5?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1379349618&sr=1-5&keywords=yellow+sticky+traps

Looks like a got the free shipping part wrong. They are about $0.35 each with shipping

Eric

Thats still a great price. I wonder if you could just use a paper punch and put a hole in the top, then a twist tie. Then they could be tied to my earthbox cages. Looks like only one side is sticky?

[DoubleDogFarm]

If I'm reading the reviews correctly, sounds like they have glue on both sides. They did leave a small area with no glue for handling.

Eric

[Susan W]

Report # 1 on yellow sticky traps! I order a set (5) each of blue and yellow, and they came in a few days ago. I opened one yellow. You turn it to have the sticky sides out, duh, and the edge/top isn't sticky. Hole on top side. I rigged with a baggie tie and string to hang over the seed starts, about 6 small 10 pellet trays. I didn't think I had many fungus gnats, but in 3 days near 20 are stuck. (I've only seen a couple on the dirt!) I will put up more when the basil pots come in, and also have more of the nursery/childcare inside. Next season will work with more in the nursery outside to get whatever is getting the plants.

I would think they'd be great in indoor starting areas and greenhouses.