Nature Bound NB508 Bug Catcher Vacuum with Light Up Critter Habitat Case for Backyard Exploration - Complete kit for Kids

my daughter absolutely loves this! she uses it to capture spiders around the house and various insects outside. works very well for the price. when we first got it the suction was a bit weak, changed the batteries and it works perfectly now.Pros: sturdy construction, it seems like it will hold up well to regular use by kids. nice suction and contains insects efficiently without harming themcons: the "laser light" on the front of the gun serves no practical purpose as its not focused enough to create a dot and not bright enough to function as a meaningful flashlight.

My grandson loved this. But the vacuum part wasn’t meant for a six year old. It didn’t hold up. But he still has a spider in his holding tank.

Good lord... All the people who have rated this poorly while complaining about the vacuum not being able to suck anything up failed to realize there is a trap door in the vacuum "gun" that you have to open prior to using it on a bug. This trap door is operated by THE BIG BLACK SWITCH ON THE SIDE OF THE DEVICE. It's purpose is to allow you to trap the bug you just sucked up without having to sit there constantly running the vacuum to keep it from escaping. If anyone wants to challenge me on this, take your "broken" vacuum gun outside, open that trap door, and stick the tip into the dirt and pull the trigger. I guarantee you that you'll get a face full of sand immediately.Kudos to the 70% of you who actually took the time to look at the vacuum and/or instructions that came with the set.As for the product review... Any product that increases the amount of time you spend with your child to interact with and have fun deserves a thumbs up. This is not a perfect product, but it is not meant to be some crazy scientific laboratory-grade kit. It is an inexpensive learning/STEM toy for kids and their guardians to have fun with in the yard.Pros:- Kid loves it. Repeatedly asked to check shipping more than I check the status on my own stuff haha Soon as it arrived we were outside and collecting an assortment of bugs. Mostly ants (big, small, black, red, flying, etc.) but we also have snatched up spiders and beetles.- The bright colors appeal to young children.- The lid on the bug box has a small dim light in it for viewing in dark rooms. Works really nice for a cool little night light for your young ones.- Bug box is large enough to place dirt and twigs/leaves for a simulated habitat while giving the bugs room for roaming.- Vacuum gun was powerful enough to suck up even large ants from concrete (see tips at end of review) but not strong enough to harm them.Cons:- Vacuum will spit out sand and tiny pebbles out the back of the gun right into your face if you're not careful how you hold it or what you're sucking up. Wearing eye-protection, even if just some regular sunglasses, is highly recommended especially if you are jamming the tip into dirt.- Lid on the bug box could benefit greatly from some sort of active retention, like a basic clip. As-is, the lid just kind of fits snuggly onto the box and can easily pop off unexpectedly if the child grabs onto the rim to pick the box up. Make sure your child is aware of this and knows to pick up the box by the handle. No one wants to have a bunch of dirt and bugs spilled in their home.- Small light in lid is nice for really dark rooms and creates a cool little ambiance, but isn't really all that bright. This is more of an area for improvement rather than an actual con of the product, though.- The port used to drop the bugs into the box is a joke. It is one of those insert-and-twist kind of plugs that doesn't work all that well. It's easier just to force the plug back in once the bug is added to the box instead of trying to get the plug lined up just perfect so that you can insert and twist into place. Small kids may find this plug style a bit of a hassle and may become frustrated with it if they don't have an adult to assist.***Helpful hints for a more pleasant experience***- Angle of attack needs to be perpendicular to whatever it is your trying to suck the bug from. Meaning you have to have the gun pointed straight at the ground/wall/tree trunk when you use it. Having it creating a good seal around all edges of its top opening will generate the turbulence needed to rip the bug free from whatever they are clinging to. INSECTS ARE VERY GOOD AT HOLDING ONTO STUFF and you're not exactly buying a Dirt Devil or Shop-Vac when you purchase this kit.- Pay attention to the size of the bug you are trapping and compare it to the size of the breathing holes in the lid. Tiny insects are pretty good escape artists and can fit through a lot of openings that don't necessarily look big enough to fit through. Waking up to a spiderweb between the box and your dresser can be a bit unsettling to some people, especially parents who are already a tad squeamish about letting their kids house bugs indoors.- Add an inch or so of dirt/soil and some random twigs and leaves so that your child can see how the bugs behave in a simulated natural environment. Spiders will weave their webs between twigs and ants and other burrowing insects will dig tunnels.- Add bits of different kinds of foods, especially bits of fruit for things like ants that like sugary stuff.- Add some drops of water. Not enough to pool up and create drowning hazards, but enough to wet a bit of the soil. Bugs, like all other living creatures, need water above all else to survive.- Adding food and water not only prolongs the life of the bugs, it also gives your child that much more involvement and understanding of the bugs they are catching and studying.- Try mixing it up and add several different types of bugs. Watching ants excavate and move materials around while a beetle rumbles by with a spider spinning a web overhead gives you and your child much more complexity to watch and learn from.

I purchased this when it was a lightning deal and I think it was a great value to buy both items as a set instead of purchasing separately. I gave this as a gift to a 7 year old boy and he LOVES it! It was a huge hit at the birthday party and all the kids were playing with it. Both items were ready to use out of the package and did not need any batteries or assembly. If there were any instructions, we didn't read them because it was easy enough for the kids to figure out how to use these on their own.The vaccuum isn't very strong but it was enough to trap bugs. It would be great it there were a reverse setting to help get the bug into the critter barn!

My 9 year old granddaughter has had great fun with this setup.It took a minute for her to learn how to assemble, work the open/close trap feature and mount to the cage.But now she's a pro -- catching and identify and studying the insects then releasing them. She even prepares the cage as a habitat adding leaves and flowers to make the insect "at home" while caged. She has caught a variety of insects, moths, butterflies etc with out harm. She releases them within thirty min or less.A little pricey but worth it in the adventure and education categories.

My daughter and I go on bug hunts and worm hunts. We collect them in the little tank so she can observe them then let them go. Sometimes the tank is turned into a little temporary habitat for whatever she finds outside and she loves it! The vacuum sucks, or rather--doesnt suck. Trying to catch anything with it either harms the bug or it doesn't have enough power to suck them up.

My 4 year old grandson loved the light inside the bug house and the ability to put the bugs in it without touching them. The bug gun was easy to use, but it could use a little more suction. Otherwise it was a hit!

This is the best bug toy. My son loves it! I love it! It makes "bug catching" so much fun. The plastic is thick and durable. The suction is strong enough and quiet enough to sneak up on a bug. The little container to hold and observe the bugs is great too. My son goes outside now to find bugs, just so he can play with the toy. What a great idea.

Le encantó a mi hijo todo es de buena calidad, ya incluye las pilas. La aspiradora trabaja bastante bien. Lo recomiendo incluso niños más grandes les gusta

Kids love it

Llegó en tiempo y forma, en excelentes condiciones, hizo feliz a mi hijo y su uso y durabilidad son excelentes

have fun!

excelente juguete los niño lo disfrutan muchísimo pasan las tardes buscando bichos que aspirar