To Collect Invertebrates that Crawl on Soil
The Schoolyard comes alive at night with invertebrates that actively hunt for food. A pitfall trap is another passive catch and release (or keep) method that is best left alone for a few days. Experiment with different kinds of bait to see which is the most attractive to the invertebrates in your yard.

Pitfall Trap
(to collect beetles, ants, pillbugs, spiders, earwigs, millipedes)

Insects usually fall into this jar during their nocturnal wanderings, and are easily collected the next day.

Materials:
Small jar (6 oz works well)
Hand trowel for digging a hole
Some kind of cover, such as a square of cardboard, or a plastic disposable plate
Assorted smelly bait, such as cat food, peanut butter, tuna fish

How to make and use:
- Find an isolated place in the schoolyard, such as in a garden or along a wall to set your trap
- Dig a hole the size of the jar and fit the jar into it so the mouth of the jar is level with the soil
- Add a teaspoon or less of bait to the jar
- Prop a paper plate or cardboard on pebbles to shelter the jar from rain. Beetles and other invertebrates will also be attracted to the shelter
- Leave for a day or two and then dump the invertebrates into another container to draw or observe