Customer Reviews

Extreme Bug Vac

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The poor spiders in the basement didn't know what they were in for today. It was more torturous for them than expected though, because the suction on the turbo bug vac wasn't strong enough (even with the extra "turbo" setting on) to pull them into the darn thing. Only the spindly-legged teeny spiders were light enough to get pulled up into the bug vac. Everything else just hunkered down and waited for us to get tired of bothering them.

Per the suggestions of earlier reviewers, I changed the batteries right away. There was a noticeable power difference, but not enough to catch anything larger than a millimeter or two in size. So...the scary-looking tunnel spiders in the basement are still sitting in their lairs awaiting their next meal. So are the fast jumping spiders. And the centipedes. We will have to be content with just a peek at them with our eyes as they flee the flashlight and our curiosity for darker, more obscure corners. At most, the bug vac gave them a brief blow-dry so they'll be at their best for a while.

Great concept in theory (which is why I gave it 3-stars), but the bug vac is not powerful enough to pull in some kinds of bugs unless you "scoop" them up. Doesn't work with insects that cling to rough surfaces or webs. Scooping them up increases the chance that you'll kill or maim them, and that's not supposed to be the point of this educational toy. Too much suction can harm the bug, but too little doesn't catch it at all. I hope they can reach a happy medium in a better product someday. We're back to the ol' glass cup and paper method!

My son and I had a great time using this bug vacuum. Within 10 minutes we had sucked up a bumble bee. It was very cool watching the bee (very ticked off no doubt) through the built-in magnifying glass. The Backyard Safari Bug Habitat is a great addition to this item.

One helpful tip: I was a little skeptical about this toy being able to actually suck up bugs. I had read other reviews about it being just a noise maker that couldn't even suck up a piece of popcorn. The vacuum comes with batteries so that a consumer can see how it works. However, I put new batteries in the toy soon after I bought it and it improved the sucking power a lot. We did, after all, catch a bumble bee with it! It's my son's new favorite toy.

I didn't buy this for a kid, but for me to safely capture spiders that turn up around the house and release them outside. I'd been having a bit of a spider problem, came across this vacuum in the store and figured it was worth a shot. Works perfectly! No more splatters of bug guts on the wall or lamely trying to catch the things in a cup. Just suck them up, bring them back outside and send them on their way.

I bought this to catch bugs in my house. The power of the vacuum, even at the highest level, was barely enough to catch a small moth. A half-inch spider just crawled away from it, probably laughing a tiny little spider laugh.

If you're looking for a way to get rid of bugs, this isn't it.

My almost 6 year old son loves this bug vacuum! He saved up his own money for several weeks to buy it. The first thing we (I) sucked up was a black widow - which is something we never woulc have gotten close to otherwise. We looked at it through the magnifiying glass and had the kids draw the shape of the hourglass so that they would know how to recognize them (and stay away from them) in the future.

After we let that go, he sucked up another (harmless) spider and then a fly and got to see the spider catch the fly in it's web. He and my 7 year old daughter were fascinated by the whole thing!

this is a cheaper and more durable version of a professional entomologist's bug vac. the weight is wonderful. our 7 year old can use it easily. the detachable canisters are wonderful. very easy to pop in the freezer or bug jar.

This is not some feeble imitation of a real tool. I have no doubt it will collect bugs, bec my 9yo daughter used it to vacuum up loose bits of paper from Christmas wrappings. It is perfect with the Bug Habitat. It will wait until Spring when the bugs emerge, but she wanted to run outside and try to find bugs right away. This was a big hit among her other Christmas gifts. A family favorite.

I got this for my 8yr old son. He was very excited and couldn't wait to catch some bugs such as crickets and grasshoppers to put into his bug habitat.

It would only catch the smallest bugs. Not even a full grown grasshopper or cricket and when it does it sometimes cuts off part of its leg. Some bugs like beetles didn't even feel a thing and didn't even come close to being sucked up.

The first time I got it, my son left it outside (Not even on the ground or in the rain.) and it never worked again. Since it "could" suck up bugs I got another. It still works but it still doesn't suck up bugs larger than a dime.

This item works well. I use to to catch flys to feed to my mantis's.

The problem of flys escaping has been solved. I culture them in containers and used to have escapee's, even when I used the freezer method some would "wake up" more quickly and get out. Now I just suck them into this, take off the container that holds them and open it over the hole to my mantis containers and blow the flys out.

I imagie it would work to catch ones in your house, though it is not a shop vac strengh suction, so you have to be pretty close to them to catch them.

I bought this product along with the bug scope for my niece's 7th birthday. She loved going around the yard and "cleaning" it up of all the bugs then putting them in the scope. The vac also has a small maginification but the bug scope was just a nice addition. We all had fun with the products