DIY - How to Make an Aspirator

Do you enjoy capturing insects and bugs? Perhaps you are a collector or an amateur entomologist? Or maybe your children come to mind. While many arthropods are benign, there are definitely some you wouldn't want to touch with your hands due to the natural defenses they might have. That's when an aspirator comes in handy!

An aspirator is a simple yet valuable tool that anyone collecting small bugs should use. All it is is a container through which bugs can be sucked up and captured. They can be easily made with upcycled and household items.

Materials

• small jar with removable lid
• 2 lengths of flexible tubing, 30cm and 15cm
• mesh, the finer the better
• rubber band
• drill
• drill bit slightly smaller than tubing
• super glue (optional)

Process

Step 1: Use the drill to make two holes in the lid to your jar.

I originally planned to use one tube with a much smaller diameter but ended up just using two pieces of 3/8in tubing.

Step 2: Squeeze your tubes through the holes. (It should be a very snug fit if you used a slightly smaller drill bit.) The shorter tube can be pushed through just enough so that it won't fall off. The longer tube will need just a few centimeters extra sticking out on the inner side of the lid for the next step.

Step 3: Put the mesh over the end of the longer tube on the inner side and use the rubber band to keep it in place.

Step 4: If there are air gaps or your tubes are loose, apply some super glue along where the tube meets the lid. Then you can put the lid back on the jar and your ready to abduct small bugs!

How to Use

The aspirator is used by putting the short tube in your mouth, aiming the end of the long tube at your appropriately sized target insect, and finally capturing with a strong inhale. The mesh is there so that the poor critter does not end up in your respiratory system! It also protects against inhaling small particles which will inadvertantly get sucked up as well. That's why a finer mesh is ideal; something almost like cheesecloth. I found that mesh used for window screens like the one below just isn't fine enough.

And there you have it! A practical tool which you can capture insects with! It's great even for children! Being an aspiring myrmecologist, I will probably be using mine to catch ants and their queens while being perfectly safe from their bites and stings. Happy hunting!