TL;DR: Hate killing bugs? Buy the Bug Zooka
If you dislike catching, killing, and/or squishing bugs, you’ve come to the right place. If you always wished there were some bug-catching device that didn’t require you to get near a bug, watch the bug die, or even kill it, but still effectively helped you get rid of it, look no further. What I am about to share will change your life.
First of all, bugs and I are not friends.
Wait, that’s not completely true. There are two exceptions. The first was two years ago, when a wasp flew into my fourth grade classroom. Thirty-three children
+ one wasp = chaotic, screaming classroom. Unless, that is, you have a cool-headed teacher who will nonchalantly take a cup, clap it over the window-bumping wasp, slide a piece of paper under to trap it, and walk it outside to free it. Sure, I was sweating bullets the whole time, but the kids didn’t need to know that. I returned to applause and cheers. Being a hero was just part of my day job.
The other exception is when our baby shower was bug-themed. I chose it. And I loved it. How could you not love this?
It was every bit as amazing as it looks!
Now back to disliking bugs.
If you like bugs, don’t read this paragraph. My brother and I used to invent all sorts of creative ways to get rid of the dreaded critters. One of my favorites required teamwork. A daddy-long leg would be stuck in some unreachable corner of the bathroom. He would grab the hairspray, and I’d grab the hairdryer. Then we’d gather our nerves, and my brother would give the spider a good coating of hairspray. Immediately after, I’d blast the dryer on it and soon it would freeze in place. There it would stay until Dad came home and got rid of it.
Weird, or brilliant? Well, doesn’t matter anymore, because now we both own a Bug Zooka
- It totally works. Just push the button, and the device uses a spring mechanism that produces a vacuum, sucking the bug through a one-way trap door and into a clear catch tube. A dark grey catch tube is included for the extra squeamish (so you don’t have to look at the bug you just caught).
- You don’t have to get near the bug. It’s about 30 inches long, so you can stay a good distance away and avoid viewing your captives up-close.
- You don’t have to kill the bug yourself. You can remove the catch tube and let the bug free outside if you want. Or you can let the bug(s) die in the catch tube over time and then empty it (or let someone else empty it…) much later.
- Spiders don’t run away from it. When you try to kill spiders with a napkin or something, they always start running away just as you’re about to get them. It freaks everybody out. With the Bug Zooka, you can bring the tip of the catch tube right over the spider for optimal sucking and it won’t flinch at all! It’s like they can’t sense or see the thing at all, so it’s super easy to catch them.
- You don’t have to stand on chairs to catch spiders on the ceiling anymore. With the built-in extender, it can reach any place a human + chair can. This kind of goes with my second point, but I thought it deserved a bullet all its own. NO MORE BALANCING ON CHAIRS!! Isn’t that great?! I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s been afraid of getting startled by the spider and falling off the chair…
- You don’t have to use tissue to pick up crunchy dead spiders anymore. EW gross I shudder just thinking about it and hate the word crunchy in this context. But you know what I mean. Just suck it up, then forget about it. Whew.
I have been so empowered by this tool. Now, when I see a spider, I will catch it myself, even if Ben is home! I just get the Bug Zooka, suck it up, then leave it for Ben to deal with later. SO WONDERFUL.
I will also note that you should not attempt to wash your catch tube. We did, once, and it got all rusty. It doesn’t affect the effectiveness of the contraption, but dead bugs are gross enough as-is. No need to add the extra dinginess of rust to the scene. Also, take care not to leave it cocked, or else the spring will be weakened.
If this post doesn’t convince you to get it, then… you must not mind bugs too much. Good for you. Otherwise, buy this for yourself or gift it to a bug-fearing friend. They will think of you–fondly and with much affection– every time they use it. And you can think of me likewise. You’re welcome. You’re very, very welcome.
4 responses to “Best Bug Catcher Ever”
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Does it work on flying bugs ? We seem to have small flying bugs in the house and I’m not sure if they came in on fruit or plants.
I don’t think it would work well for flying bugs. The catch hole isn’t wide, like a fly-swatter. It’s big enough to suck up a spider, but would be really hard to aim and follow a flying bug with. Sorry!
What an awesome idea! I don’t like teaching my kids to kill bugs, but no way am I going to gently cradle a giant spider in my hand to bring it out to the great outdoors! Problem solved!
Haha “gently cradle a giant spider in my hand…” *shudders!* Yes, hope you enjoy this solution!