no, I don't enjoy it, but the idea of taking kids into the garden to do it does sound fun. Will have to try that with my son this year.

Funny!!!! I've had my kids out while I was digging up my yard. They just loved to watch and play with the worms.

Since I can't stand bugs, when I did find cutworms, I just picked up with a shovel moved it to the patio and let them squish them for me. I loved hearing my little boys squeal like little girls at how gross it looked. I just made sure that they cleaned any leftovers up before I walked over there. I think they really enjoyed it.

I like to hunt June bugs after they emerge from the soil after dark. I put them in a big gallon jar (cruel and unusual punishment) and save them for a treat for my chickens. In early summer I have an infestation in my yard for about two weeks that boggles the mind. My chickens are some happy girls when I show up with the bug jar the morning after a hunt. DH thinks I'm nuts but who cares? What else am I gonna do that time of day - watch reruns on the boob-tube?

Cheryl

I have been doing it for years! One at a time, my neighbors noticed that I would water my lawn, then that night, walk around with a flashlight and a bunch of gallon zip loc bags.
They also noticed that my plants were rarely eaten by snails. One by one, they started soing it, too. Now, we make an event out of it! Two or three times a week, we are all out there with our lights and bags (and a bottle of wine!), and we go as a group from one house to another. We are having a hard time filling up even one bag, so we are definitely going to have to find more neighbors to get involved! It's gross, but fun!
A glass of wine, a flashlight, and friends. Oh yeah, and snails, slugs and other slimey things. Fun!!

Kathy

that is what i did all last summer til the wee hours of hte morning...earwigs! i am seriously praying for toads adn that i made enough changes and dents to the earwig pop last year.

then again, i don't have time for a veggie garden this year anyway. i do still want to plant my sunflowers, aka earwig buffet.

I have been very remiss not to include the bottle of wine while bug hunting at night. I knew there was something missing, but I didn't know what it was! I'm gonna do that this summer for sure.

Cheryl

you should teach them not to kill the slugs, since every animal plays a crucial part in the food web. have em collect the slugs and bring them somewhere else, instead of instilling a mentality of killing. happy hunting ;)

Well, Ive been going out there about 4-5AM & find snails, earwigs, slugs & some beetles eating my veggies. I dont like killing things but I dedicate some time just to kill overpopulated bugs gophers etc. Though I expend a great deal more effort to create a comfortable habitat for the beneficial animals-lizards, birds, Toads, wasps, bees, butterflies, ladybugs, etc. even tolerate a few 'weeds'.

every animal is beneficial to the ecosystem. the only thing you should be doing is repelling them from your garden somehow, which does not involve killing or relocating!

My 75lb Black Lab, Raven, is getting excited about bug hunting as she saw her first June bug of the season a couple of days ago. She will go down on the lawn when they emerge and chase them about, then stay out all evening on the veranda chasing and eating them. She's been doing this since we got her two years ago.

This year she has a companion to join in the fun - little orphan Annie, a nine month old cat who thinks she's a dog. This will be cute!!

OK, I thought I was the only one who saved nighttime bugs in a jar for my chickens. We call it the chicken's cookie jar. Mostly crickets and millipedes that come inside here.