Take advantage of the great weather this half term and go for a garden bug hunt!
The wildlife in our very own gardens is very busy this time of year, and there’s so much to see if you get close enough!
What will you need?
- Bug boxes or clear containers are really useful for holding insects while you look at them.
- Use a spoon or a small paintbrush to gently scoop up your finds into your boxes.
- A magnifying glass is very helpful for getting to look closer at the really tiny details!
- Pen and paper to write down what you find.
- A camera to take photos!
Step by step:
- Head outside into your garden, and get ready!
- Get to the level of the creatures you want to find. You’ll need to look under stones, in soil and leaves to find some!
- Using your spoon or paintbrush, gently scoop the creature you find into the container to look at.
- Use your magnifying glass to get a closer look at what you have found, see if you can tell what it is!
- Write down what you can see, how many legs or wings does the bug have? Does it have a pattern or is it one colour all over? Where did you find it?
- Take a photo of what you found!
- Carefully put the bugs back where you found then and replace anything you moved to find them.
- Keep a list of all the creatures you find and see if you can find all of the ones we’ve shown below!
What are you looking for?
There are lots of bugs and creatures in your garden, but here are some you could start to look for! Tick them off as you find them!
Top Tips
- Be patient and quiet when looking for bugs.
- Build a pitfall trap! You can do this by digging a small hole in your garden and putting a clean pot in the hole which will catch insects.
- Be careful when catching and releasing your bugs so you don’t hurt them.
Once you’ve finished
Take a look at all the creatures you have managed to find! Did you tick off every one from the pictures above? Let us know on our Facebook page!!
If you’re unsure of any of the bugs you have found, you could take a look online to see if you can find out what it is!
The RSPB website is great for more information on lots of different types of bugs and animal.
