Making a Lobster-pot Trap

A "Lobster-pot Trap" is an essential piece of kit for capturing both pond and rockpool animals for study. It gets its name because of its resemblance to the traps used by fishermen to capture, you guessed it, lobsters.

To make a lobster-pot trap you will need:

2 plastic drinks bottle (2l mineral water or fizzy drink bottles are best).
1 craft knife.
2 metres of string.
adhesive (PVA, UHU or equivalent).

Method:

Graphics by Barry Jarvis from an original design by Howie Watkins.

RSPB Wildlife Explorers is the junior membership of the RSPB.

Check out their website.

Cut the top off one bottle and the bottom off the other as shown using the craft knife.

Take the cut top and insert into the base of the other bottle. You can glue this in place if you would like your trap to be more durable.

Tie the string to the trap - this is important as it makes the trap safe to use and hard to lose.

Using your trap:

Bait you trap with some food (frozen prawns, crab paste, cheese sandwich…).
Fill the trap with water at the pond edge.
Lower to the bottom of the pond using the string.
Fix the end of the string so you don't lose it.
Leave the trap for 15 minutes.
Haul out the trap, remove cap and gently tip contents into an observation tray.
Once you've had a good look, return the animals to the water.

Notes:

Please remember to use the string, it makes the trap safer for you and the pond animals. Please don't forget or leave your trap for longer than 15 minutes; many pond animals need to breathe air, if you trap them for too long they may die.

Making a Trap