Wildlife Jack's Top 10 Tips for Bug Hunting and Animal Tracking with Kids

Planning on exploring one or all of the three Lewes bug hunting spots recommended by the Kellies in their Perfect Guests post yesterday?

You’ll need Wildlife Jack’s Top 10 Tips for Bug Hunting with Kids.

1. Bugs like it damp and dark. So look for areas with lots of rotting timber and nooks and crannies.

2. Carry a white tub to collect your insects and a white sheet to lay them out on for a good look.

3. Look up as well as down. Lots of bugs live up in the trees. One method is to shake the tree (although this does seem a bit unfair!) and collect the bugs that fall on to your white sheet.

4. Carry a camera – you can take pictures of what you find and it can help identify any unusual visitors.

5. Look around the bases of trees and on fence posts that ‘stand out’ for owl pellets. If a tree looks like someone has spilt white paint down it, there may be a Tawny Owl roosting there.

6. Look for animal tracks in soft mud and along trackways. You can often see trackways made by animals in the grass.

7. Go out at night with your torch. You’ll be amazed what is scurrying (or gliding – in the case of slugs and snails) about in the dark.

8. Scour on top of tree stumps for signs of squirrels having their dinner. Or tucked-away little corners for signs of mice dining.
9. Search everywhere. Bugs and animals will live in the most unlikely places. Town foxes, beetles in your garden, bugs and moths attracted to lights outside at night… And bats attracted to the moths!

10. Be aware of the bugs and animals and respect where they live. Always return rocks and logs to where they were.

These tips were compiled with a huge helping hand from Paul Webster, the ranger at Bentley Country Park.

The Kellies have included have included two lovely-sounding Bentley Country Park-themed activity packages in their fundraising campaign for  ‘Wildlife Jack & His Animal Adventures‘.

Take a look at their Kickstarter page to see what, when and how much to pledge to take part…