You may think your kids (and you too) hate bugs, but the Venus Fly Trap and Bug Net Launcher from the Discovery Channel Store are bound and determined to prove you wrong. And if your kids already dig bugs and you’ve got a steady stream of buzzing insects in your backyard, then those little explorers of yours are going to be in seventh heaven when they get their hands on either of these two toys.

As before, the Venus Fly Trap was a hit with kids and adults alike, but especially with boys. One mother commented: “It was no surprise when the boys all LOVED the Venus Fly Trap. It catches bugs?? AWESOME!” Another echoed: “The boys kept setting the trap hoping to catch a big bug. I was thankful they didn’t catch any bees.”

But this blogger wished her Venus Fly Trap would catch a bee or two: “Unfortunately we’ve had enough rain this spring to keep the bugs at bay. Usually we have quite a few bumble bees buzzing around our house which is what my kids were hoping to catch. How cool it would be to see a bumble bee up close!” She went on to say, “My son checks on our Fly Trap everyday and has become so discouraged that today my husband placed an unidentifiable flying insect that is not much bigger than a gnat inside the trap. My son was so excited about that little bug which has me more determined than ever to catch something.”

And with the Venus Fly Trap, you really can check out the bugs you catch, without harming them: “With this educational toy, the child gets a chance to view the bug up close by looking at it through the clear compartment where the bait trap is.” One little guy “decided he was going to draw pictures of the bugs we caught, because I’m a scientist who catches and studies bugs!”

The Bug Net Launcher was also enthusiastically embraced by a few budding entomologists. As one mother described her son: “He adopts bugs and cries when they fly, scoot, or crawl away seconds later.”

So it’s not surprising that the boys were itching to get the launcher out of the box and into nature: “My son was quite eager to open the box when it arrived and promptly assembled it and shot it. Wow! That net has
some range! We immediately understood the backyard part and banished him outside with it,” reported one blogger. Another had to make her son wait in agony for days until the rain stopped: “He drove me absolutely up the wall until he could go out in the yard and try it out.”

Once the boys got out there, how did the launcher perform?

Unfortunately, for two families, at least one of the prongs that anchor the net inside the launcher (until the trigger is pulled and the net is released) broke off: “One of the four prongs broke that first evening. Fortunately, with three other prongs, the gun’s strength and trajectory were unaffected; the fun continued! Unfortunately, another prong broke after a second day of rambunctious play.” While this wasn’t a problem for the bloggers who checked out the launcher in the first half of this campaign, it was still disappointing for these two bloggers and their kids.

This mother was a bit dismayed by the difference between the online product description and the actual packaging: “While on the Discovery Channel Store’s shop page, this toy is entitled Bug Net Launcher, the actual product is called a Backyard Safari Netgun.” She explained: “When I chose to review this product, I thought it was a catcher as in catch the bug, observe it a bit, and release it. But unfortunately, 100% of the bugs my boys caught with the Netgun died on impact, or shortly thereafter. Perhaps the launch is a bit too strong. After [my son] caught his first bug, he exclaimed, Oh! There it is! as he approached the net, and then Oh no, it died! It was almost comical, but also very sad.”

However, she did note: “I like the instructions and how they encourage safe exploration, so I hope that perhaps they will continue to refine the product so that it will be longer-lasting, and yet gentle enough for the bugs.”

But another blogger and her son had a grand old time with the launcher. Check out her video!

She enthused: “It’s a simple, fun toy. It’s appropriate for the age demographic. It’s well made and sturdy. It’s at a fair price. And my son enjoyed it.”

Are you going buggy yet?  Check out the Venus Fly Trap and Bug Net Launcher for yourself, courtesy of the Discovery Channel Store!