Collecting Butterflies Makes Walking More Fun

Have you noticed the abundance of butterflies this spring? Perhaps it is due to the unseasonably warm weather much of the country experienced over the past months, but many are noticing butterflies in greater numbers and in more varieties than ever before.

Even Canada is reportedly experiencing one of the largest butterfly migrations in history with the president of the Toronto Entomologists’ Association noting that this year’s butterfly population is about 20 times larger than normal.

If you are looking for a fun way to get some exercise this summer, may I suggest chasing butterflies? Collecting butterflies is an interesting hobby, and chasing them can burn a lot of energy. You don’t have to be an experienced insect collector to start a butterfly collection. Supplies can be found online or in hobby stores, and with the mass migration occurring this year, you have a chance to collect many species that you may not normally see.

If you’ve never collected butterflies, here’s how to get started:

Get a quality net

Do not buy a cheap net from the toy aisle. Those do not work. Their mouth is too narrow and the net is too short to be effective. You need a high quality net, which can be purchased for under $20. Your net should have a wide mouth, a long handle, and a long net. The mouth of your net should be at least 12 inches wide, with a net at least double that in length.

Use the right motion

Many novice insect collectors will try to swoop down on a bug from above with their net. That is ineffective. You should sweep gently and smoothly from the side, flipping the mouth of your net 180 degrees to close it on itself after the mouth passes the insect you are catching. This maneuver can take a little practice to get right, but it is very effective in catching butterflies and other insects.

Learn to mount your specimens

After you have collected your butterfly, you should be able to carefully transfer it from the net into a jar or box for observation. If you choose, you can release your butterfly back into the wild after studying it, or you can kill and mount the insect as part of a collection. Butterfly collections are beautiful and can be quite valuable for scientific study. Mounting butterflies for study can be tricky, but with some practice, you can have a beautiful butterfly collection of your own, and many hours of fun, outdoor exercise spent in pursuit of an exciting new hobby.

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Best Fishing Tips for Little Kids
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Tavia worked as a naturalist and recreation specialist at an Oklahoma lake during her college years. She enjoys using what she learned as an outdoor educator in her work with children today.