It's the end of National Moth Week, and I participated by setting up my moth lights in my backyard. I started setting up lights in June for the first time, and it is so much fun to see what variety of creatures come to the lights. It's not just moths!

My setup is not fancy. I already had a white sheet, which I draped over my sons' unused pitchback/rebounder. I used clothespins to attach it. I pulled out a couple of long-unused single-bulb grow lights from the basement, and that's how I started. I got a few moths and other insects, but I wanted to see more. I bought a brooder clamp lamp and a 100-watt fluorescent black light twist bulb from Amazon. Together, they were $22.90.

Wow!! What a difference in visitors to my sheet. I admit, I do not enjoy getting bombarded by the beetles, but I've been getting used to it. I have been careful about how much and how often I turn on the lights. During late June and early July, I mostly kept the lights off to not interfere with the fireflies, as I have many fireflies in my yard.

One of the reasons that I set up the moth lights is that I was curious as to what moths were in my area. I have a couple of oak trees in my yard, and I now only plant natives (other than my vegetable garden and some annuals). It has been amazing to see all of the different moths that have visited my yard. Some species have been one-time visitors, while others, such as the Elegant Grass Veneer and Lesser Maple Spanworm Moths, are quite common.

As of today on iNat, there have been 1,457 species of butterflies and moths observed here in Connecticut. I have only observed (and identified to species as best I can) 181 species. I have no shortage of new visitors to observe! Moths come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some of them are very tiny!

Setting up a moth light is simple. You don't need to collect moths, you don't even need to photograph them, but of course I'd love to see them become part of the Meriden record. I mostly use the camera on my phone, so I don't always get the best photos, but it's a start. I hold a small flashlight and aim it at the moths to help focus and then use voice commands to take the photos. Some moths are sensitive to the light, so I try to view it in my camera lens before using the flashlight.

As a side note, please do not use bug zappers! They just attract insects to your yard, including ones that probably wouldn't have ever bothered you. Mosquitoes do not seem to be attracted to the lights. I rarely see mosquitoes or get a mosquito bite while at my moth lights. On the other hand, if you eliminate the zapper, you can use the light to bring in moths for observation.

If you decide to set up lights, I hope that you have fun!

Kelly