Backyard Safari Mini Pop Up Habitat

I was, to be truthful, expecting this to be larger. It is very, very small. I have taken a picture of it with a normal size pillar candle next to it to give you some idea. The netting is very fine so small insects can be kept inside, but opening the zipper on the top to feed the insect or provide water as in the form of a cotton ball, involves violently shaking the entire unit, disturbs the bugs, and of course, causes many insects to head toward the top of the enclosure. Of course, the zipper is also at the top. I keep Ladybugs in my habitat for my Venus Fly Traps and to kill Spider Mites that appear at times on my house plants. To keep them alive, I have to put a wet cotton ball inside, along with mashed raisins. There is not a an issue with the raisins because I put them on a little paper cup that is easy to use and then dispose of when the raisins are dry. The cotton balls, however, have a tendency to soak through the paper cups and then right threw the bottom of the cloth habitat floor as well. It can be quite messy! So, unless your child is keeping a butterfly for a day or two and then releasing it, this is not a habitat that is suitable for you.

I bought this because I wanted a habitat to allow me to observe the lifecycle of Monarch butterflies from caterpillar to butterfly. What I discovered is that, although I provided long twigs from which the caterpillars could anchor their chrysalis, they all found their way up to the inside of the lid of the habitat and hung from there, making it 1) difficult to add new milkweed leaves to feed the remaining caterpillars, and 2) difficult to release the resulting butterflies without disturbing the remaining chrysalis. ( What is needed is a habitat that opens from the side rather than the top.) Aside from this, this little pop-up habitat seems to be sturdy and easy to clean with a hose. (Monarch pupa poop a lot!) I think it would be good to watch fireflies or other insects, just not as a butterfly nursery.

A great pop-up habitat for butterflies, moths, mantises, wasps, or other flying insects. I teach summer school classes about bugs and spiders for elementary and middle-school students. During the weeks leading up to the start of a class, I scour my local hiking trails for a variety of insects to bring in and show the students. These pop-up habitats are perfect for temporary housing for a variety of insects, allowing the students the opportunity to observe them up close, and are large enough to put in a small potted plant or other food source, twigs to climb on, a small water dish, or a tray of dirt for pupating, depending on the type of insect I am keeping in them.

This little bug net is PERFECTION for the tiny critter enthusiast.It’s large enough to home bugs or a small animal (obviously for a super short time period) but collapses down and can clip onto a bag without taking up much (any) space.This is a perfect gift for curious kids or adults.

This cage works great, but there is something that would make it even better. Butterflies tend to go up, so it would work better if the opening was at the bottom. You can solve it just by using it upside down (attaching a strap on the other end, the new top, to hang it), this way it is easier to unload the catching (aerial) net from below to put more butterflies in, or to open it to pick just the ones you need to remove without the risk of the other ones escaping.

The description does say that this is mini. I just didn't realize how mini it was. This would be ok for one caterpillar / butterfly. We had 5 and I had to get a bigger one. There was no way that 5 butterflies would have fit in there.

My son loves to catch insects. This has been problematic on hikes when he wants to try and take them home or carry them forever. Enter this little gem. It is small and clips right onto his pack. He can catch to his hearts content and easily has a place to keep his new friends. It is light weight and folds down to store easily. I am thrilled to have this solution.

The first one we purchased had the seam coming apart slightly (something that most people could restitch easily however), but they sent me a replacement and it came in great shape. They are much more durable and easy to use than the hard bug boxes we initially bought for my son. We brought this on a camping trip and my 3.5 year old son loved using it to catch bugs, little sticks, etc.

Definitely smaller than I thought it would be. I orginally wanted it for two butterflies. My fault for not looking at dimensions. Great for housing small critters.

Well. The quality looked just fine. But I just didn't realize how mini this pop up habitat was. So for the price it wad just too mini for me.

I like this , it will be great to use in the summertime.

It is good quality, a bit smaller than I wanted but still good!

This is a small mesh insect habitat. It is exactly what I was looking for to keep feeder insects. Now it's much easier for my bearded dragon to stalk his hornworms.