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Setting the Trap!

Site Selection Guide: Choosing a good location matters. Where you place your Malaise trap will influence what insects you collect, so take a few minutes to look around and choose thoughtfully.

Walk through your site and identify the different habitats nearby. Even small areas often contain more variety than you expect. Select a location that reflects your local environment and is practical to maintain.

Accessibility

Choose a location that is easy to reach and safe to visit regularly. Your trap must be checked at least once a week, so practical access is important. Avoid areas with heavy foot traffic, sports activities, or routine maintenance. A site that is simple to access will make consistent monitoring much easier over time.

Environment

Select a location that reflects your local environment. Woodland edges, areas near water, gardens, or natural transitions between open and shaded spaces can all work well. Even small differences in habitat can influence the insects collected. Place the trap on level ground with short vegetation to allow insects to enter freely.

Trap Positioning

Insects often travel along natural flight paths such as forest edges or open corridors in vegetation. Take a moment to observe how the space is structured before setting up. Position the central panel across these routes so it intercepts movement. This setup guides insects upward into the collection bottle effectively.

here's a hint:

Pay Attention to the Environment

Preparing to set up your trap provides a great opportunity to assess your BugQuest site’s surroundings before the start of the program. It is possible that your site will have several excellent locations to deploy the Malaise trap. Take the time to explore the the unique habitats that your surrounding areas may offer. This is an excellent time to assess local ecosystems, create habitat maps and determine how humans impact the environment – all of which are important components of the curriculum.

It's starting to get in-tents

Meet the Malaise Trap!

The Malaise trap is the tool used in BugQuest to collect flying insects. It resembles a small mesh tent designed to intercept insects as they move through the environment.

When insects encounter the central mesh wall, they tend to fly upward. The shape of the trap directs that movement into a collection bottle at the top, where the insects are safely captured for study.

Just add water! (and salt)

The Quest Bottle

At the top of the Malaise trap is a collection bottle that holds a salt-based preservative solution. As insects move upward through the trap, they enter this bottle and are preserved until the sample is collected.

Salt is used because it helps preserve the insects while remaining safe and easy to handle in schools and community settings. It slows decomposition and keeps the specimens in good condition until they are shipped back to the lab.

Last Updated on April 9, 2026 at 12:40pm by Buggy