How to Catch and Release Bugs

Studying bugs doesn't have to mean acting as the Grim Reaper. Many individuals choose to catch and release bugs, keeping them just long enough to learn about how and where they live. You can even have a catch-and-release bug collection, photographing insects instead of killing and storing them. You could also opt for catch and release as a form of pest control, capturing bugs and letting them go outside of your home.

Things You'll Need

• Jar with lid
• Net
• Paper
• Pen or pencil

Instructions

Find Bugs to Catch and Release

1. Look under rocks and boards. Ants, termites and crickets, as well as other bugs, can be found in such locations.

2. Search near streams and ponds for dragonflies, true bugs, flies and certain beetles. Some bugs can be found in the water, as well.

3. Check under loose bark and inside logs for termites and ants. Beetles, such as tiger beetles and bark beetles, are also found in these locations.

4. Find grasshoppers, flies, leafhoppers and plant bugs on and around plants. Spittlebugs, aphids and beetles can also be found on and around plants.

5. Scour dumps and manure piles for flies, roaches, earwigs and beetles.

6. Look indoors for centipedes, beetles, roaches, silverfish, flies and termites. You may also find moths and ants indoors.

Start Capturing Bugs

1. Purchase or borrow an insect net.

2. Obtain a collecting jar (a jar with a lid).

3. Secure paper and a pen or a pencil.

4. Secure a hammer and a very thin nail.

5. Hammer the nail into the lid of your collecting jar to make a hole. Repeat to make three or four small holes for air.

6. Use the insect net to capture insects.

7. Transfer your captured insects into your collecting jar.

Observe Your Bugs

1. Find a comfortable place to sit and observe your bugs.

2. Check to determine whether you caught insects or other types of bugs. Insects generally have six legs and three body parts.

3. Look closely at your collecting jar to determine whether you caught any spiders. They generally have eight legs, two fangs and two feelers.

4. Count the legs of the bugs you captured. Bugs with more than eight legs may be arthropods, such as millipedes or centipedes.

5. Record your observations using your pen and paper.

Release Your Bugs

1. Turn your collecting jar on its side.

2. Unscrew the lid and allow your bugs to crawl or fly out.

Tips & Warnings

• Take extra care with handling stinging insects. Refrigerating bugs for no longer than 10 minutes may slow some stinging insects down, allowing you to release them safely.