Tips for catching Dynastes Grantii

[d2023]

Last year I went to payson arizona during the end of july to get dynastes granti, but I went high up in the mountains at a cabin, and only found 2 cottonwood stag beetles, which one was already dead, and the other one somehow escaped and died in the cabin overnight. But this year we may be able to go back and i want to be able to have a guaranteed chance to find tons this year. The thing is i dont know when, how and specifically where. I'm also planning to catch some stag beetles if im lucky. Please give me all the tips on how to be able to succeed in catching them. Should I place traps to try to attract them? for example uv light or fruit traps? im worried that it may have the same result as last year.

[Ratmosphere]

Ever hear of the Payson Home Depot? 

[newbie007]

Not an expert on this subject, but I had read about the home depot, and that apparently they switched to LEDs, so they will no longer attract them.

[d2023]

yeah i just found out but the person below said that the lights may have been switched, you think its still going to work?

[Garin]

I don't think you can ever be guaranteed of getting tons of D grantii. Some years are good, some years are not so good, so it just depends. That being said, imo, the prime time is end of August. It's rare to find them in July in Payson. So go around the end of August, preferably no moon or very small moon. No rain and a warm night is better. You can still find some at the lights in town. I know someone who did that last year. Maybe not as much back when they didn't use LED's but you can still get them. Your best chances are setting up a high wattage Mercury Vapor light. I and others have not had good luck with 15 watt black lights. Good luck and have fun!

[d2023]

thank you for the tips, also where can we get high wattage mv light, and where can we get a power source??

[Garin]

You can use something like this: 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/180877784621?var=480164552274&hash=item2a1d27f62d:g:RqEAAOSwuCdb99QW&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4F4bTI8gC0niSpW%2B%2BMY60EKzckJ0rQ1n2xxR5LRmzmvUiW7B%2FXap3v%2FpXRwKYD3c6nIOXA8OiUItyjiDM3kMmF0Lj6PYpBNnxw0Oqk1PLw9GzY%2FZM%2FgHNfKXb%2FuiPd8OlxDctiJri33dUIBg26MEUL95GMVU0fITVgEv2L2pFcAsdTd0PrLsDSMexfiQQnDVdKwMCQNIgYrnTgMkDLKb4NNsJJX6ZH4wii%2BWhpL%2BcRLaFbYHX1V%2BMlDU3GmuzI8PQbkwKqah1eBJHUhXYx0SMU5xEXakcOtmEL%2BUO%2FmWBfA1|tkp%3ABFBMmMGq-bVi

I use a 400 watt unit and it draws tons of stuff. Then you will need a 1000 watt generator. You will probably want to mount the socket on a tripod and extend the wires, etc. So a little bit of modification on your light setup but not difficult.

[newbie007]

Another option is to use some cheap LED strip black lights (I got mine on amazon for like 12$), wrap a strip of about 90 LEDs around a pvc pipe, and power with a usb power bank. You'll need a buck booster to boost the USB to 12v but besides that it's very convenient. Probably not as good as a 400watt light but it's caught me quite a few good beetles, including a few D. Tityus, so I'm sure it'll work for grantii too.

[d2023]

On 8/1/2023 at 6:49 PM, newbie007 said:

I got a long black light from walmart for $12, and i have been able to catch only chrysina gloriosa, but not sure if its that effective because i tried it at the end of july last year, but could not catch any stag beetles. It may have been due to the location, since i was at the mountains too. this is what the light looks like https://www.ebay.com/itm/125956823639?chn=ps&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A1PhOIWmiwSxaZbtkdvVzshA91&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=125956823639&targetid=1584571731043&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9031211&poi=&campaignid=19894961968&mkgroupid=148855406073&rlsatarget=pla-1584571731043&abcId=9307911&merchantid=6296724&gclid=Cj0KCQjwoK2mBhDzARIsADGbjeqI2ek-G2UDxb6JIq4O6UhM_KYFPAQIm51caw5irw_vfGshMUVH_gYaAgXwEALw_wcB

[d2023]

On 7/31/2023 at 10:40 PM, Garin said:

i have a question, am i able to use the ones used for reptiles? for example, https://www.ebay.com/itm/404297782868?hash=item5e22069654:g:1HkAAOSwOzxkZ7uZ&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4MpGmKUQ87MBXzVzy0Tu4cK%2Fi8%2B3azPZExEG9m8La8KBqM%2BV1tqLIk%2BwyoypVrqrcgY2XHEDkCOP%2B%2FKE9OMLzABIuW%2BYzwNZRUpGUX6ZYboV3xd%2F0G7QibbCNaRYG7Gctt7cFVA3u6f9wZ0t%2F4hUWzBj5ih%2FRayT87SwndrfqApDx%2FY6%2ByuASXyE%2BVxt5RfYLIF5B%2FjXF5xp9iuD6CmSDjf%2F4bLGsQP5%2F8F9pKSxuQjGh0WwP7nWeVv%2FqBSFm8UujijYYRgQfkBgVcnInNIkK%2BdN%2F8BNZXdgc35BlvWooZh2|tkp%3ABk9SR9Co-Oa3Yg

 

[newbie007]

On 8/3/2023 at 10:49 PM, d2023 said:

On 8/1/2023 at 9:49 PM, newbie007 said:

I got a long black light from walmart for $12, and i have been able to catch only chrysina gloriosa, but not sure if its that effective because i tried it at the end of july last year, but could not catch any stag beetles. It may have been due to the location, since i was at the mountains too. this is what the light looks like https://www.ebay.com/itm/125956823639?chn=ps&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A1PhOIWmiwSxaZbtkdvVzshA91&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=125956823639&targetid=1584571731043&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9031211&poi=&campaignid=19894961968&mkgroupid=148855406073&rlsatarget=pla-1584571731043&abcId=9307911&merchantid=6296724&gclid=Cj0KCQjwoK2mBhDzARIsADGbjeqI2ek-G2UDxb6JIq4O6UhM_KYFPAQIm51caw5irw_vfGshMUVH_gYaAgXwEALw_wcB

I have no idea about those, these are the exact ones I use:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086151YRH

I think location is very important, I'm setting up my stuff in the middle of a forest.  They do work though, just this morning I caught this guy:

[d2023]

Not sure if Im going this year because ive heard that the heat is deadly this year, so might consider going next year instead.