My babysitting kids love being outside, which is perfect because I also love being outside! As their school year winds down, I’m excited to spend more time with them this summer and do one of their favourite activities together – bug catching.
- 1 Net
- 1 Insect Box
We started off last year by catching dragonflies, but have also collected bumblebees, grasshoppers, spiders, slugs, pillbugs, and so many other creatures. It’s surprisingly easy what you can catch with a simple net and a bit of patience.
I personally like the dragonflies the best, because I find their iridescent wings to be absolutely gorgeous. I’ve also been informed by my babysitting children (and their National Geographic book) about the different varieties of dragonflies that we have in Alberta. I like the darners the best, like the one in the picture, but we also catch skimmers and damselflies. The kids and I have a very vivid memory of one darner, affectionately named Snatcher, who ate the head off a smaller dragonfly right in front of our eyes.
When we first started out, the kids needed my help transferring the insects from the nets to the box, but now they can do it themselves quite easily. I only get involved when the insect in question seems like it might be dangerous.
For example, last summer we found a whole pile of wasps (which I think were Prairie Yellowjackets), and I was the one who scooped them up because I didn’t want to risk the kids getting stung.
We try to stick to a 24 hour maximum capture rule, where we have to release the insects the next day, but sometimes it’s hard for the kids to resist keeping them a little bit longer to show their parents and friends. Still, I think in general, bug catching has given them a greater appreciation of nature, and made them more sympathetic to the cycle of life and death. I’m hoping that the kids will look back on these summers fondly, rather than with an air of disgust, but I guess only time will tell.
Until next time, happy crafting!