Pooter
A pooter is a device that helps you collect small insects without harming them. You’ll suck them into the jar.
What you need
- A jar
- A rubber stopper that fits the jar tightly*
- 2 feet of flexible plastic tubing, about 1/4 inch inside diameter*
- Scissors
- A 1-inch square of gauze, cheesecloth, or screening
- A small rubber band
- A power drill with a large drill bit (1/4 inch works best)
*Look for the stopper and the plastic tubing in a store that sells wine-making supplies or in a hardware store.
What to do
- Get an adult to helpyou with the first step. With the power drill, drill two holes in the rubber stopper. (If your drill bit is narrower than your plastic tubing, tilt the drill from side to side to widen the hole as you drill.)
- Cut the plastic tubing in half with scissors. Push each piece through one of the holes in the stopper. If you have trouble forcing the tubing through the holes, put a little dish detergent on the outside of the tubing to lubricate it.
- Use the rubber band to fasten the gauze square over the end of one piece of tubing. Make sure you put it on an end that will be inside the jar.
- Put the stopper in the moth of the jar.
How to use it
- Go outside and look for a small insect. (It must be small enough to fit through the tubing!) Quietly walk up to the insect and place the end of the tube that does NOT have the gauze as close as possible to the insect. Put the other tube-the tube with the gauze on it-in your mouth and suck on the other end of it. The insect will be vacuumed into the pooter by the suction. The gauze keeps the insect from being sucked into your mouth.
- You can use the magnifying glass to study the insect. When you’re finished studying it, unstop the pooter and release the insect into its environment.
