Fig. 36. F 



The sifter net (See Fig. 37), is made of 

 heavy muslin or canvas sides with a rigid 

 wire ring above and a circular bottom of 

 galvanized wire mesh as illustrated. Place 

 in it the trash, leaves or rotten wood to be 

 sifted and shake over a white cloth. As 

 the specimens drop thru the screen onto 

 the cloth, they may be picked up with the 

 aspirator or forceps. 



In the wintertime, bags full of leaves, 

 pieces of bark from trees or decayed 

 stumps containing hibernating forms may 

 be brought from the woods into the cellar. 

 In a few hours the insects will become ac- 

 tive and they may be sifted from the mate- 

 rial in the warmth and security of the base- 

 ment while the storm rages without. 



Collecting ivilh the Aspirator. The as- 

 pirator is especially designed for collecting 

 small, soft bodied and delicate insects 

 which would be difficult to capture un- 

 harmed with forceps or fingers. Specimens 

 are drawn into the collection vial by a 

 sudden inhalation of the mouth tube or 

 by squeezing a rubber bulb as in Fig. 38. 

 A fine wire mesh covering the inlet of the 

 mouth prevents the inhaling of debris or 

 insects. An aspirator may be used in col- 

 lecting termites, ants, small bees from flow- 

 ers and minute insects living under stones 

 and in crevices. 



Fig. 37. Sifter net. 



Fig. 38. Aspirator. 



Bait Traps. Many sorts of insect traps 

 can be devised. Probably the simplest and 

 most effective are olive bottles and fruit 

 jars buried with the open top of the jar 

 level with the surface of the ground and 

 baited with molasses. Boards daubed on 

 the underside with molasses or with meat 

 placed under them are very good. A large 

 tin can with meat scraps can be placed in 

 a field and visited every morning before 

 going to work or school. It is well to bury 

 the can so that the edge is level with the 

 surface of the soil. If skunks or other ani- 

 mals molest the bait trap, those unwel- 

 come visitors may be kept away by thrust- 

 ing sticks and twigs around the trap, form- 

 ing a corral. Rain water can be drained 

 oil by placing a few small holes in the bot- 

 tom of the trap. Specimens collected at 

 bait traps will become greasy unless a fine 



