On September 22 we went to Miss Manacom’s back yard to see our Malaise Trap. We recorded the daily high temperature, cloud cover and catch volume.
These records are important because then it will give us better understandings of how the weather affects the insects. For example: if it was snowing then not many bugs would be out. In that case, if it is super sunny it will be good bug catching weather.
There are two bottles of ethanol; the first one is for week one and the second one is for week two so we can see if there is a difference of the bugs.
Hey it is Sophie and Daniella! We’re on week 2 of our Malaise Trap project. It’s a good start (we’ve caught 8 bugs in one hour!). The weather has been good which is why we have “so many” insects. We hope that by the end of week 2, our catch volume will be greater than week 1.
I think the Malaise trap program is an awesome project. September 22 was our first day of the program. We walked from our school Evergreen Elementary School in Drayton Valley to our grade five teacher’s yard to look at the trap. When we got there we saw the trap and the bottle full of ethanol. We did not put the bottle on before we got there because it was the first day.
There are two grade five classes. And we were both going to the trap at separate times. We were the first class to go so there wouldn’t be any bugs in the bottle but the other grade five group might get some. When we put the bottle on, there was one small insect already flying around at the top of the bottle.
I think the next time we check the trap, a quarter of the bottle will be full.
It will be amazing if we can find any new species of bugs that help us or are a danger to us – even bugs that have medicines to cure diseases. Our school has caught a lot of small bugs but we’ve caught very few big bugs. I think the most common bug we have caught is a fly because they always fly around our school. – A. (gr4)
When we set up our Malaise trap I was really excited. I want to see what bugs live here. I think it would be good to see what bugs live here because we can see if any bugs help make medicine. We set it up in front of our school garden because bugs go near gardens. I think we will attract a lot of bees because bees collect pollen. I think we will get flies and gnats too. We might get a dragonfly because I have seen some dragonflies at recess. I wonder if temperature changes if any bugs come. I think we would have a lot of bugs but we have a lot of small bugs. – J. (gr4)
Our bottle has filled up quite a bit since yesterday. It’s now up to the first mark! Most other schools have a more buggy area. Our school is close to Lake Ontario. Maybe our school will have different results than Erin Mills (also in Mississauga). What do you think? Maybe tomorrow will be very buggy. It might even raise another line! – M. (gr4)
Our school made it up to the first line. It is so cool! When you look at the trap it looks like a shadow for the bugs. Since it’s a hot day the bugs go up to the hole ! – H. (gr4)
As the first week ends, Mrs. Rose-Wideman’s class at St. Ignatius of Loyola is excited to report that 50 insects have been collected. New additions include: a cricket, a large grasshopper, spiders, and more black flies. We look forward to seeing what we will catch next week.
