We’re going on a BUG hunt!

Living in the countryside, we see a lot of wildlife and bugs, but we rarely actually stop to look closely at the bugs! I realised that B has somehow made it to age 8, without ever having done a bug hunt, so it was top of our list of free summer holiday activities this year! According to stats collected by Anthisan Bite & Sting Cream, 39% of us in the UK have noticed an increase of “unusual bugs and insects not common to the UK” and 24% have been stung or bitten – ouch! So, learning the who’s who of bugs is quite important! 

Bug Hunting

The first thing we had to do was work out where we could find bugs, we stumbled across a marvellous thistle, the brightly coloured flowers attracted lots of bees so it was a great start! We talked about the importance of Bees, and how they don’t want to sting us, and that they’re nothing like wasps, but that we mustn’t touch them. I think explaining to children that some insects will bite or sting, is an important lesson.

The boys wanted to get a little more hands on, so we hunted in the long grass for grasshoppers, we listened for the chirpping, and soon had spotted one! The boys loved watching the grasshoppers jumping! We moved on to look for more bug like bugs, and lifted various stones to see what might be hiding below! We found woodlice, earwigs, and other little bugs which we’ve yet to identify!

One of the best things about bug hunting, was being able to talk to the boys about the bugs and them learn to respect nature without being afraid of it! We also talked about different plants and weeds, and how the stinging nettles really do sting our skin like an insect might!

If you’re worried that you’re not sure where to start on a bug hunt, I would recommend you grab a Bug Safari Set,  we were kindly sent a set by Anthisan, and it is great! It comes with everything you need to hunt for bugs, and there’s even a ticklist of bugs to find (and where to look!). B has used the magnifying glass most days since opening the kit to inspect insects of leaves, and has started to show a huge interest in the nature around him..now I need to find a great book to keep two steps ahead of him!

Disclaimer; We were sent a bug safari set to take on our bug hunt, all thoughts, opinions and images are my own.