Things You'll Need:
- Cables
- Power source
- Collecting jars
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Step 1
Determine the location of the insects you wish to use the bug collecting vacuum on. Usually, they need to be in obvious sight, though you may be able to spot signs such as nesting mounds and spores if you have read up on insects.
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Step 2
Check the bug collecting vacuum's power source and make sure that it is active. For some models, you may need to run cable back to a nearby house or power outlet, though others have a self-contained battery and may be taken anywhere.
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Step 3
Grip the bug collecting vacuum by its handle. It usually takes two hands to operate, one to hold the device itself and one to manipulate the collecting tube or funnel which captures the bug. You generally want to hold the bug collecting vacuum in your off-hand and use your dominant hand to manipulate the tube more effectively.
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Step 4
Point the flexible tube at the bug you wish to collect with the vacuum, as near as possible without touching it. You can also snake the tube down into the bug's nest--a termite mound, an ant's nest or hard-to-reach places under bark or beneath a log--in order to collect specimens which aren't readily visible.
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Step 5
Activate the vacuum and suck the insect into the mechanism. If you wish to capture just one particular insect, you should use a relatively short burst, just enough to secure it without pulling in anything else. If you want to collect a number of insects in one go--such as a trail of ants--keep the vacuum on and move the tube along the line until you have all of them you want.
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Step 6
Detach the holding container from the bug collecting vacuum and seal the top. You can replace it with a fresh tube if you wish to continue collecting insects or remove it to an interior locale to catalog or preserve the insects you have captured.
