I don’t have much rotting wood around here to break into. Any other suggestions where I can find more little critters?

Flip over rocks or other objects lying around. That’s what I like to do. I think it kind of depends on where you live, but this works a lot for me. I usually can find ground beetles, and a variety of insect larva.

Where in the world are you and what sort of insects would you like to find?

Depends a lot on where you are and what kind of insects you’re looking for. Lots of different baits attract insects by scent (nectar, flowers, dung/compost, etc.), as will food sources (Just beware of the potential consequences. This is how you get ants, as they say). A light trap works well for mot…

The majority of what I find, I find at night, just by looking, basically anywhere, but especially on leaves. If you havent been able to look at night, and you can, that will often increase chances by being out when more is active.

Most people don’t look under mushroom caps/on the underside of shelf mushrooms/inside of oyster and lion’s mane mushrooms. That’s usually a good way to find fungus-eating beetles like Erotylidae, Staphylinidae, and Nitidulidae.

You can use a bug catching net. Every time I use it, I catch insects I have never seen before.

Checking out diurnal flowers usually yields some pollinating insects (though not always depending on species/season)

I find open areas to have more insects as it is warmer in direct sun, but this is in a colder climate (I’m listening to the wind whip snow against the window right now)

I’m on a rural mountaintop in Haiti. It’s been badly deforested and any rotting wood has been picked up for firewood. We’ve been fallowing some land for a few years now and reforesting but we still have a ways to go. Mostly I just want to find out what’s out there.

Any tips for finding more insects?

Nature Talk

tiwane January 29, 2025, 11:44pm 6

I personally try to not break into rotting wood, that pretty much destroys habitat for a lot of critters. I’ll flip logs and rocks and gently put them back, which is disruptive but more recoverable.

Topic		Replies	Views
What are good homemade insect traps? Nature Talk question	41	15723	June 25, 2019
How to spot the hard to spot Nature Talk	35	2495	January 17, 2020
Finding moths without tools like lights or traps Nature Talk	15	2515	April 4, 2024
Tips for finding more beetles and caterpillars Nature Talk	10	1699	October 18, 2022
Tips for Finding Animals Nature Talk	24	1132	October 17, 2022

Any tips for finding more insects?

Related topics