Bug Net Launcher: Catch 'Em Dead or Alive

My son was chomping at the bit to get his paws on the new
Bug Net Launcher from Discovery Channel Store toys. And who can blame him?


This galactic-looking device resembles a tricked-out water pistol, except instead of shooting streams of water at a target, it "launches" four blunt-tipped safety darts attached to a large (18" x 18") square net into the air. Theoretically, an intended target (a spider? a millipede?) would be trapped under the net and budding young entomologists could spend hours engrossed in quiet study.

In my seven-year old son's case, the pulling of the trigger and launching of the net proved far more engrossing than the study of insects - so far, at least. Perhaps as the weather warms and bugs emerge from their hiding places, my son will be more inclined to actually study the ones he manages to ensnare in his net. Whether or not they'll still be creeping and crawling and flying and wriggling, however, is another story.

I've been trying my hand at launching the bug net, and lemme tell ya, the "launcher" packs quite a wallop. It's no wonder my son loves shooting this thing.

I aimed the specimen collecting device at my target (a TV remote control on the floor) and pressed the trigger. The darts sprang forth with gusto and landed on the remote, and the net draped over the unsuspecting gadget and darts like a tarp over an accident scene.

I don't know, but if I were a Monarch butterfly or a Daddy Long Legs and I saw this dart-net bomb heading my way, I might just die of a heart attack right there on the spot. [Note to insects everywhere: An encounter with a Bug Net Launcher may well be the equivalent of donating your body to science.]

I asked my son what he thinks about this toy and he immediately replied, "It's great!"

No doubt he'll be terrorizing the insect world all summer long with this reincarnation of the good old-fashioned butterfly net.

Read more reviews of the Discovery Channel Store Bug Net Launcher at Parent Bloggers.