Tommy asked about a fruit sock. Take a mesh bag, put in some fruit like watermelon, strawberry, pineapple, cantaloupe, banana (including peel), etc., hang from a tree or pole, preferable where you can easily see it, and wait. Those 'flys who do not feed or seldom feed on nectar are attracted to the sack. The same thing happens when putting it on the ground, like on a deck or in a pan. I expect others on this freelist chum. Fran, a 'fly person from Florida who has property in Tennessee and follows the butterfly activity here thanks to Steve telling her about the site, uses a sock with great success. Some species to expect are Red-spotted Purple, Hackberry Emperor, Tawny Emperor, satyrs, Question Mark, and others. Today, not on the sock, but in the watermelon end, a Red-spotted Purple fed six straight hours and then apparently flew up into the tree above it to roost. Without this set-up I would not see these butterflies as extensively or as frequently as I do. There are other ways to chum such as dung and wet sand or wet dirt. Would be interested in hearing of other's chumming experiences. Michael Lee Bierly, Nashville, Davidson County, TN
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Fruit Sock - Question Mark (l) and Hackberry Emperor (r) (1) 07-15-09 KM (800).jpg
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Fran's Fruit Sock (800).jpg
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Chum - Red-spotted Purple (1) 07-15-09 KM (800).jpg
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