Colin Donihue

I’m really sorry I don’t have a picture to go along with this day and a half’s fiasco! There’s no way I could have though, my hands were such a mess I’d have completely destroyed my camera.

So, the next step in the insect research is to get a sense of the flying insects that can be found around the glades. These’ll be the primary food for my lizards I think so I’m anxious to get a sense of what’s out there. Sampling flying insects is tough… there are lots of methods (I’d be happy to send you a dozen papers on the topic) but my first effort is going to be to use sticky traps.

The idea is to hang very sticky notecards that will trap any insect that happens to bump into them. The stickiness comes from a product called Tanglefoot. I have no idea what combination of chemicals they used but this is the stickiest, gooiest, thickest goop I’ve ever come across. It’s like pine tree sap and honey and molasses all in one. I spread it over these notecards, getting it all over me as well. I seriously doubt if I’ll ever be able to get it out of my pants. It’s really impressively sticky!

Funny though, it has a beautiful caramel color – very much like some kind of candy. It made me think… if this biologist thing doesn’t work out then perhaps a dessert shop… I think I’ll have to invent “Tangletooth Toffee.”