How to Build a Bug Vacuum
It might be impossible to ignore a firefly on a dusky July evening, inviting you to take a closer look. You can use a bug vacuum to catch a firefly, or any number of different bugs, so you can inspect them more closely. With a chance to recycle some household products, learn more about how a vacuum works, and of course getting a closer look at some of your local wildlife, making and using a bug vacuum can be an educational way to spend an evening with your family. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Small, clear plastic container and lid
- Scissors
- 2 bendable straws or 1/4 inch aquarium tubing
- 1-1 inch square of pantyhose or cheesecloth
- Tape
- Rubber band
Instructions
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1
Poke a hole through the container's lid with the scissors. Make the hole big enough for the straw to fit through. Punch a second hole across from the first. Remove the lid from the container.
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2
Push about 1 inch of the short end of the straw through the hole. Repeat with the other straw. Be patient; it might be a tight fit. The short end will be in the container when the vacuum is complete.
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3
Hold the short end of one of the straws. Stretch the pantyhose or cheesecloth over the hole.
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4
Tape the ends of the pantyhose securely to the straw. You may need someone else to do the taping while you keep the pantyhose tight. The pantyhose will keep you from inhaling a bug.
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5
Place the lid securely on the container with the short ends of the straw inside. Notice that the straw end with the pantyhose on it is inside the container.
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6
Tape around the holes where the straws went into the jar.
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7
Put a rubber band on the straw with the pantyhose on it. This way you will know which straw to suck on.
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8
Test the vacuum. Find a small bug that will fit in the straw. Set the straw end, without the pantyhose on it, near an insect. Suck on the straw with the rubber band on it. The bug will be sucked into the container.
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Tips & Warnings
Choose bugs that are small enough to get sucked through the straw.
Observation is best. Do not handle insects; some are dangerous.
Release insects when you have finished looking at them; a film canister is no place to live.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
