Insectigations

Posted by AmyStults | 0 comments

I don’t mean to give you the heebie-jeebies, but did you know that at any given moment you are no more than 3 feet away from a BUG! Most of the bugs within your radius are so small that you could never see them without a high powered microscope. Don’t get freaked out, don’t go run to take a shower, and don’t start over sanitizing your house. Remember these bugs are still God’s creations and everything God makes is GOOD.

Without these bugs the world would be a dirty place! Without the teeny-tiny dust mite, your house would be caked with dust and dirt and dead skin flakes no matter how often you dusted. Without bees, many kinds of vegetation would die out. Bugs help to decompose dead animals as well as the fur and hair from living animals. Without the strange dung beetle, the world would be full of you-know-what.

It is a fact that our world needs bug to survive. God sure knew what He was doing, but doesn’t He always.

So say it with me, “I like bugs, bugs are good, bugs are my friends.” Great…now let’s go catch some. There are several ways to make a “bug trap.”

Trap #1
Cut the top off of a small plastic soda bottle. Turn the top upside down and insert it into the bottom. Drop a few small pieces of insect-attracting food such as raw meat, or sweet smelling fruits, into the bottle. Insects especially love bananas and peaches. Dig a small hole into the ground and place the bottle in the hole so that the edge of the trap is even with the ground. Bugs will follow the scent to the trap, fall in and not be able to climb back out. Be sure to check the trap in the morning, as more bugs come out at night.

Trap #2
This next trap is actually called a pooter. It is simply a vacuum cleaner for bugs.

You will need:
* A small glass or plastic jar with lid
* 30” of thin plastic tubing
* a scrap of muslin or nylon
* an elastic band
* small amount of clay

Cut the tube into two bits, one 20” long, the other 10” long. Cover one end of the short tube with the scrap of muslin and secure it with the elastic band. (This will stop you from sucking up the bug.) Cut two holes in the jar lid to push the tubes through. Fix the tubes in place with the clay or anything similar, making sure any gaps are sealed. Place the end of the long tube over the bug you’d like to have a look at. Suck gently on the end of the short tube. Your sucking creates a vacuum in the tube, which will pull the bug into your jar.

Trap #3
Place a large white poster board under a tree or bush. Shake the branches. You are sure to see a number of bugs fall from the tree onto your poster board.

Trap #4
Make a thin sugary concoction from mashed banana, sugar water or fruit juice, and honey. Use a paint brush to coat a tree trunk or fence post with the sweet smelling liquid. After dark, take a flashlight with you after and inspect the trunk or post. Gently scoop the bugs into a container for inspection indoors.

Trap #5
Create the above concoction but pour it onto a tin pie plate. Punch holes in the side and attach a string. Hang it a tree to attract butterflies

There are about 3 million species of bugs in the world, you are bound to find a good variety in your own backyard. Please encourage your children to be respectful to the bugs they collect. God took the time to hand craft these little buggers. He personally knows each one of them just as He personally knows each one of us.

Here are some more fascinating bug facts:

• All insects have 3 body segments, 6 legs, and 2 antennae. If a creepy crawly doesn’t meet all the criteria, it is not an insect. Contrary to popular belief, spiders are NOT insects; they have 8 legs and no antennae.
• Aphids are born pregnant and can give birth 10 days after being born themselves.
• Dragonflies are one of the fastest insects, flying 50 to 60 mph.
• Each year, insects eat 1/3 of the Earth’s food crop.
• In its entire lifetime, the average worker bee produces 1/12th teaspoon of honey. The total distance of the many trips honey bees travel to produce a pound of honey is about equal to twice the distance around the world.
• The leap of an average flea is equivalent to a 100 pound man leaping 1,000 and enduring a g-force of 20,000 pounds with an acceleration greater than that of a space shuttle.

For this article, I had the pleasure of reviewing the Amazing Insects kit from Treasure Box Press. What a fitting name for this company, because they offer just that – treasures in a box. Founders Michelle Eichhorn and Cindy Hullings have created the perfect products for the homeschool science teacher. Easy to use, fun, and best of all, everything you need arrives on your doorstep in one cute treasure box!

(By the way, did you know that one of Sam’s Science Adventure kits by Treasure Box Press was rated #1 by a panel of homeschooling moms and their tween daughters in 2005.)

The insect kit was just upgraded to include more activities. This kit can be adapted for preschool to 6th grade and is loaded with helpful worksheets, kid-friendly explanations, and review diagrams. Kids can create a Mexican Ant mask to wear, construct a bee hive, and build their own insect from a bag full of craft goodies.

Michelle and Cindy have also included activities to help the child see what it would be like if they were an insect as they learn how fast an insect’s heart beats and exactly how an insect’s vision works.

There is even a teacher’s manual which includes answer keys, activity extenders, field trip, website, and book lists. Also included are a very easy to use bug catcher/container and pocket sized bug guide that I am sure your future entomologist will not want to put down!

Treasure Box Press has generously donated an Insect Kit to one lucky reader. In addition to the insect kit, they are including 2 Uncle Milton Ant Farms, which can hook together with a connecting tube, so the ants can move in between. All you need to do to enter the giveaway is leave a comment telling me about a science-related activity you have done and enjoyed. **This giveaway ends on May 16th**

Amy is a Classical homeschooling mom to a six-year-old Superhero. In her column “Through the Microscope,” she writes about the beauty of science and finding God’s handprint through the miracle of everyday elements and processes. Be sure to visit her blog at Milk and Cookies.

Please visit our friends at Castle Heights Press!