Homemade Bug Nets

My children love to catch and study insects.  They also like to add them to their insect collection.  Last year, I found some nets at Target for $1.  They lasted the whole spring and summer before they broke (not bad for $1!)  The children have been asking and asking for new ones, so the other day when we were in the " big city", I ran by Target hoping they would have some.  They didn't.  The only nets they did have were small ones that were over $4.  I didn't have $24 to spend on nets.  I told the children I would try to order some, but I really didn't find any good deals on line either.

The weather last week-end was supposed to be beautiful.  So I started thinking about what we could use from around the house to make bug nets.  This is what I came up with.

wire coat hanger
cheese cloth
staples
tape


We bent the coat hanger into a shape that had a circular end and twisted the other end together putting tape over the pointy end.  We cut the piece of cheese cloth into a the same circle shape, about double the size.  We placed the cheese cloth around the circular end and stapled it around to form the net, the reinforced it with masking tape (duct tape would've worked better.)

The boys have been happily bug catching ever since.  They spent hours over the week-end looking for bugs.  Alex (9) did not listen when he was old not to try and catch a red wasp for the bug collection and got stung.  But he was fine.  I don't know how long these nets are going to last, but hopefully it will work long enough for me to find, order, and receive some other ones.