My previous post gave suggestions for saving the squirrels, now my outcry is "Save the bugs!" You must think I'm a mad woman on a campaign to save the most annoying creatures on the planet... But they ALL matter, and they deserve to live out their lives, annoying or not. And they serve a greater purpose.
Insects perform a vast number of important functions in our ecosystem. They aerate the soil. They control other insects and plant pests. They also decompose dead materials, thereby reintroducing nutrients into the soil. All insects fertilize the soil with the nutrients from their droppings.
I know there's a lot of "ick factor" when you find a bug in your house, but did you know that renownend entomologist Edward O. Wilson, in his book The Diversity of Life, says, "If they were all to disappear, humanity probably could not last more than a few months."
So, make a bug jar! Catch and release! You owe it to the planet, and to the future of all life on earth! This is an easy project, and kids love the whole bug relocation program.
Make a Bug Jar
Step 1: Find a jar with a lid. Poke a few holes in the top.
Step 2: Have the kids draw or color any kind of lable, but make sure it has a label! You don't want to mistake your bug jar for a jelly jar!
Step 3: Put it someplace that is easy to get to, because when you hear "SPIDER! - get the bug jar!" you need to act fast.
Step 4: Catch the bug/spider.
Step 5: Release the critter outside!
One thing to consider, leave the actual catching of the bug/spider to the grownups. Some spiders will bite.
The really cool part of this project is that it teaches kids that just because a thing is a little scary looking or ugly to your human eyes, you don't have the right to smash it. This is a huge lesson, especially for you kids. It also gives you the opportunity to study the bug/spider "up close and personal," safely, in a container. Get hold of a good bug identification guide, and make every "catch" a learning experience.
