Cricket Trap

Always there are crickets along the walls outside of my home.  I read in other places where people have build various traps along walls.  So here is my Wall Run Cricket Trap...

One could easily use rain gutter down-spout PVC or some other material.  I used green coroplast. It's 24" long, 3.5" ID.  The ramps are 3.5" wide x 9" long and covered with self adhesive sandpaper to allow crickets to climb in and jump onto the bait. Once inside there is no escape unless they make a lucky jump back to the top of the ramp but I'm betting they will simply crawl around inside.  There's a .75" opening for them to enter at the top of each ramp and a rod through so the tops are set and hinged and the bottoms will lift up to empty contents.  Will probably set one ramp firm and just use one for the door to empty and set bait.

People have used vegetables, molasses and even singing male crickets in traps for bait.  I'll try different ones, starting with a plastic snuff can full of molasses with small holes in the lid to allow the scent out.

Here's my original drawing, had thought to use PVC pipe with funnel ramps and a coupler in the middle fixed to one side and slip on the other to take apart and empty.  Still may make one just to see how it goes if the coroplast version works.

This would certainly be more durable but likely cost more to build and be heavier but not so much one would have trouble, or so I imagine.

Updates to come.

Update on 4/12/12...

This trap did not fare so well as I had hopes for.  It did catch a few random crickets with various baits outdoors.  The ramps came unglued during rainy weather and curled up.  It might do well inside a home if there is a cricket problem with a cereal and molasses bait.  My cat keeps all wandering bugs killed indoors so there is little need for even trying.

I have made a different trap that is working well outdoors and am currently  looking into marketing possibilities