Best sticky traps for early warning of pests

[CannaRed]

What should I look for?
What should I avoid? I saw the sticky thread about hotshot pest strips.

In the past I've had problems with two spotted spider mites and fungus gnats. Right now I'm clean, but was trying to be a bit more "professional" and warmer temps are on the way. We had a warmer than usual winter this year and many say that pests are going to be worse this year. (Ticks, and mosquitoes too)

Just looking for an early warning system. I don't necessarily want a product that will "attract" any pests, but if something happens to get pulled in, I want it to go to the trap.

I read the old thread about using Tanglefoot spread on yellow poster board or index cards. Is this still a good option nowadays?

What's your experience?

 

[buzzmobile]

Tanglefoot is a good way to make your own traps. Use plastic folders cut to size with Tanglefoot. Paper folders don't hold up as well and the color fades. Yellow and Sky Blue are the two colors that attract insects. The traps will not work for mites. Fungus gnats and white flies are suckers for yellow. Blue traps are designed specifically for thrips, but thrips will also be attracted to yellow traps. The color is what 'attracts' insects. The color is the bait. Tanglefoot is the trap.

 

[pop_rocks]

What should I look for?
...
I read the old thread about using Tanglefoot spread on yellow poster board or index cards. Is this still a good option nowadays?

...

like buzzmobile said, its the color yellow that attracts the insects and the glue like substance (tangle foot) that traps them
i hang a few in different areas of the tent to keep track of whats passing through
the flying insects will stick to the cards i hang and i have also used the glue applied to a paper sleeve wrapped around the stalk to catch ground based insects

 

[CrossBones]

I stick two 3x3" Canary Yellow Post It Sticky Notes back to back so they stick top and bottom on a plastic fork, knife, spoon, straw, hanging string, or what have you.

Then coat the paper with brush on Tanglefoot. Lasts along time, cheap, easy to make as many as you like.. Throw away as needed..


https://www.target.com/p/post-it-notes-3-34-x-3-34-4pk-canary-yellow/-/A-14791461

 

[f-e]

The £1 shops here all have a solution or two. I like the 10 pack of pest strips, that are a small tube you hang, then pull out the coiled up sticky paper from within. Leaving it hanging from the lights perhaps, so it's almost in the canopy. Gnat's come out when you water and tend to circle the top of the plants. Where landing on the sticky strip is as good a choice of landing pad as any.

I like the yellow cards near the pots, as spotting things on them is easy. Gnats in particular will show up sooner down there, than up top. The sticky strips are a cheap control method, chopped up t put a bit in each pot, after finding you have reason to.