Backyard Bug Collector
save
Crafted from home improvement store staples, this suction-powered catcher features a gauze screen that lets kids suck insects into the tube without the risk of inhaling them -- a precaution that's appreciated by moms and bugs alike.
What you'll need
- 8-inch piece of polycarbonate tube lamp guard for a T8 bulb (we bought
- a 4-foot tube for less than $2 at Home Depot, then cut it with scissors)
- Electrical tape
- 3/4-inch schedule 40 PVC male adapter (about $.25)
- 2-inch square of gauze
- 1 1/4-inch leg tip (we got a 4-pack for less than $2 at Home Depot)
How to make it
Wrap the threaded (narrow) end of the PVC adapter with a strip of tape.
Unfold the gauze and cut out a 2- by 4-inch rectangle
Fold the rectangle in half to make a square, then place the gauze over the opening at the threaded end of the adapter and insert it into the tube.
Use another strip of tape to secure the adapter to the tube.
Apply a final strip of tape to the other end of the tube as shown and slip the leg tip over it.
To use the catcher, remove the tip, place the open end of the tube over the bug, and suck through the other end of the tube. The insect will fly into the tube, where kids can examine it.
