Backyard Safari Mini Bug Vac

Bought this for our 3 year old grandson. He hasn't caught anything but it sure keeps him busy outside.

Works. It's okay. DO NOT let your kid suck up and loose dirt though...it'll get stuck in the trigger and you won't be able to use it anymore.

This thing is pretty cool. At first I thought it was a little under powered, but after replacing the batteries included (a quick, easy process) it worked very well. It grabbed up a large wasp from my house easily. The magnifying lens doubles as a block to prevent the insect from escaping. The lens is sturdy, but fairly loose on its pivot point and has no way to secure it in the open or closed positions, so it's necessary to make sure it's in the correct position. Also, it would be nice if the tube was removable to free the insects more easily outside the home. Seems sturdily built from heavy materials (considering it's price and that it's basically a toy). With a few minor tweaks this would be bordering on great.

I thought a great addition to my garden would be a small vacuum to suck up bugs rather than use pesticides to kill them. This item seemed like the answer. But its suction power is so very poor that I basically had to scoop bugs into it to get the thing to work at all. I think a child would find this just as frustrating as I did. It was not worth the $20 I paid for it, at all.

For those who aren't expecting an actual vacuum cleaner, this worked just great. We mostly use it to pick up those unwanted spiders and other bugs. If you're a bit patient, even flying bugs can be nabbed. Sure, it's not going to suck them from across the room, but most bugs are easily cornered and captured with this thing. Plus, this thing is robust and simple than the original. We bought it as a replacement and it's working great after two seasons.

The suction on this thing is nothing to write home about, can barely feel it 1cm away from your skin. The clear part does not screw off, so you don't have a lot of options when you have the bugs in it. Doesn't come with anything to plug the hole, so if you manage to catch something you have to cover the hole with something flat. Should have come with a rubber stopper, turn seal, or some such solution to this.Tested it on a few household bugs I found since it came.Results:Silverfish (~1in long): Casually walked away while I held the suction directly over its head, right behind it, etc.Moth (~1in long): Fluttered away.Tiny fruit flies (~1/16in long): Sucked them up and kept them in as long as you held the trigger.

To clarify, this is a mini version. It is NOT the actual Backyard Safari Bug Vacuum and it's not the new edition with the laser either. This didn't even come with a patch for his vest! I assumed it would have one, because it is still the same company. No. The reviews that mention the "capture" cores and attachments are for the other vacuum. This one comes with the mini vacuum and a small plastic magnifying glass. That's it. I wouldn't have bought it if I had known this beforehand. My son doesn't know what it is supposed to be like, so he is still happy with it and that is why I'll keep it. He has been able to suck up some small flying insects (it is winter so we don't have a lot of bugs around yet). I'm still disappointed about the patch. This would have been our first one for his vest.

bought it for a week long camping trip to remove bugs that managed to get into our tent, it worked great even for the larger flying varieties!