Sticky Traps

In this type of trap, a board, piece of tape, pane of glass, piece of wire net, cylinder, or other object, often painted yellow, is coated with a sticky substance and suspended from a tree branch or other convenient object. Insects landing on the sticky surface are unable to extricate themselves. The sticky material is later dissolved with a suitable solvent, usually toluene, xylene, ethylacetate, or various combinations of these, and the insects are washed first in Cellosolve and then in xylene.

This type of trap should not be used to collect certain specimens, such as Lepidoptera, which are ruined by the sticky substance and cannot be removed without being destroyed. Various sticky-trap materials are available commercially, some with added attractants. However, use caution in selecting a sticky substance because some are difficult to dissolve.

References: Buriff 1973; Chiang 1973; Dominick 1972; Edmunds et al. 1976; Evans 1975; Gillies & Snow 1967;