Written by Michael Curry Co-designer of Limno Corrals
Limno Corrals Round Up Aquatic Insects for Research Lab
We have custom designed Limno Corrals to meet the researcher’s specific needs for deployments for many years and a new challenge was presented.
The inquiry was from a professor who needed to improve a floating trap for catching emerging aquatic insects. As there were many problems experienced with the existing trap being used.
• The pyramid shape support frame made of wood was constructed very well. However, the wood framing was heavy to move around on land when setting up and stacking in warehouse.
• The other concern was the floatation made of Styrofoam blocks with no covering strapped to the base of the wood frame. This caused the Styrofoam to chip on edges during deployment and storage handling.
• The No-see-um netting was very loose and needed to be attached tighter to the frame on top and bottom.
• A Limno Corral sleeve was requested for containing emerging insects directly to the trap surface for maximizing collection.
This project was a challenge in designing light weight components for easy handling, sturdy framing for standing up to many deployments with preinstalled netting and being stackable for warehouse storing.
The first component designed was the floatation measuring 1m square inside. A coated PVC fabric is encapsulated by heat welding over the Styrofoam to prevent chipping issues caused by water soaking, UV Sunlight deterioration and handling.
The pyramid top and bottom frame for supporting the No-see-um netting was fabricated with an aluminum angle. Sturdy aluminum rods are welded on four corners to hold the top and bottom together. The Poly-Fastener we manufacture is attached to bottom and top frame for securing the prefabricated pyramid shaped No-see-um netting.
Once the aluminum frame is cradled inside the floatation custom hardware holds both the sleeve and aluminum emergence trap in place with D-rings for anchoring cables when being deployed.
The feedback received was very good with all the improvements we introduced meeting the professors’ specifications. The new robust design has been proven to withstand many years of deployments, delivering an exceptional base for rounding up emerging aquatic insects.
At times, we receive feedback from many researchers who worked with our Limno Corrals. A few years after this project, the Graduate Research Assistant who worked on this project contacted us to purchase our Limno Corral Emergence Traps. Michael Cavallaro Phd., Pest Abatement Manager, Bullhead City, AZ, indicated in his research, “the emergence traps Curry Ind. fabricated were the most durable traps I’ve encountered.”