With the approach of winter and subsequent disappearance from view in the northern-more latitudes of the majority of the Lepidoptera, I found it ironic that I recently discovered an untried recipe for moth sugar in a disused notebook. As some species of moth, such as the Oak Winter Highflier Moth, Hydriomena nubilofasciata, do fly all winter here in the Pacific Northwest, I am thinking of making up a small batch and giving it a try in the near future.
Mystery Moth Sugar
Ingredients:
1 cup of molasses
2 cups of apple juice
2 bottles of beer
1-2 ounces rum
Mix together, cover loosely, and allow it to ferment in a warm-ish room until it becomes pungent and covered with a frothy scum (probably best not done inside the living space of any building). This process may take a couple of weeks.
Paint the resulting goo on a tree or fence post. It will presumably leave a lasting discoloration so make sure it is a tree or fencepost that you or no one else minds being discolored. It may be necessary to repeat the painting for a few days before any moths are attracted to it.
I have no idea of the pedigree of this recipe or if it will even work. I will report any results from my own experiments with it and I encourage anyone else who tries it to do the same.
Peace and good moth watching.
