Suffolk Moth Group events 2026
Saturday 4th October – Buckle’s Wood, Elmsett. (Daytime survey for leaf mines).
Meet at 10 am in the Elmsett Village Hall car park (TM057467).
A young woodland of mixed trees was planted in 2005, with wide flower-filled rides and glades. We will be walking around the site looking for leaf-mining moths. In the afternoon, we will move on to a second nearby site, so if you are coming for the full day, bring a packed lunch.
About our events
Moth-trapping evenings are nice social events and a great way to learn more about moths and moth trapping, and to improve our knowledge of the county’s moths. However, events take place outside in the dark and can run for a few hours until quite late at night (sometimes all night if conditions are really good!). So, you will need to bring a few things to stay safe and comfortable.
- a torch is essential (don’t forget to check the batteries are not running low)
- warm clothing (even if it is a hot day, it can get chilly after dark)
- suitable footwear (stout walking boots advisable for most meetings, wellies for wet sites)
- something to drink and a snack to eat
- something to sit on as we normally run a sheet light as a base and spend a lot of time close to this
- insect repellent
- eye protection against UV light as the bulbs we use emit a lot of it
- mobile phone (most people have one now anyway!)
- Hand sanitizer
Please try to arrive at the advertised time, take care of your personal safety, and listen to the short introductory briefing by me or another experienced recorder about any hazards in the area, such as electric cables, slippery paths, etc. If under 16, children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Please follow trap etiquette:
- Do not open other people’s traps unless the owner has invited you to.
- Do not pot up moths from other people’s traps, even from the outside surfaces. This is deemed bad manners.
The County recorder’s job on the night is to collate a full list of species for the landowner, so if individual trappers keep lists separate from the main evening list, send them to the recorder as soon as possible.
Most moth trapping meetings are arranged for Friday evenings. If the weather forecast is poor for that evening, the event may still occur on Saturday night, so please contact me to find out or check either the moth group’s Facebook page or WhatsApp group for details of any changes.
If you have any queries before the event, please contact Neil Sherman (moth@sns.org.uk) Suffolk Moth Group
