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The Best Butterfly Net for Your Garden
Last updated: Jan 8, 2024Butterflies are beautiful creatures – with bright, colorful wings and a gentle-looking nature, they roam the fields and flowerbeds, flaunting their patterns to passers-by who chance upon it. Many folk who love butterflies go so far as to catch them, either to frame them as art or simply for the sake of catching, releasing them once they’ve had their fun.
Butterfly nets are designed to be lightweight and easy on butterflies so that their wings won’t get damaged by the net. Here are some of the best nets for catching said insect.
Show contentsCompare the Top Butterfly Nets for 2024 in Detail- RESTCLOUD Insect and Butterfly Net - Best Overall
- Trasfit Insect and Butterfly Net - Runner Up
- Coopay 2 Pieces Butterflies Nets Catching Bug Nets - Honorable Mention
- Baaxxango 6 Pack Colorful Telescopic Butterfly Net - Contender
- USATDD Kids Telescopic Butterfly Fishing Nets
- Aneco 6 Pack Telescopic Bug Net Colorful Butterfly Nets
- ELCOHO 2 Pieces Fishing Nets Bug Net
How to Find a High-Quality Butterfly Net: A Buyer's GuideHow to Find a High-Quality Butterfly Net: A Buyer's Guide
Butterfly nets aren’t like your typical insect net. Butterflies are delicate with large wings, and any wrong movement or misstep could injure or even kill them. You have to be as fast and gentle when catching the butterfly so as to not damage it. But even with substantial skill, you’ll find it difficult to catch a butterfly without a specialized net. With that being said, here’s a guide on how to get the ideal net to catch butterflies with.
What Is a Butterfly Net?
A butterfly net is a special type of net designed to catch butterflies. Due to the fragility of butterflies, butterfly nets are far safer to catch insects with, trapping them without damaging or hurting them. They are also made out of durable materials for ideal outdoor use.
Why Do You Need a Butterfly Net?
Here’s why butterfly nets are ideal for butterfly catching
It’s difficult to catch butterflies without them
First thing’s first – yes, you can certainly catch butterflies without a net. Many people, with fast enough reflexes, can catch a butterfly with no problem. The issue, however, is catching them without hurting them – particularly their wings. Butterfly wings aren’t exactly durable, and even the slightest of nudges could fold the wing, potentially permanently ruining it. If you’re catching butterflies for collection, this is the last thing you’d want. You’d have to cup your hands around the butterfly, and even then the space inside the hand may not be enough for it to fit.
With a net, however, you don’t need to worry about damaging them at all. Simply catch them with the net, fold it to prevent them from getting out, and gently grab them out of the net. Butterfly nets have enough mesh that the butterfly won’t get damaged inside the net when captured.
They can be used in other manners
Butterfly nets are commonly used for, well, butterflies, but that’s not their only use. After all, with a sturdy net and frame, you can pretty much carry anything light enough inside it. You could catch fish, grab hard-to-reach items, and much more with the net. The nets can also be used to catch other insects, of course, so if there’s an annoying bug flying around in your house, and you don’t have an easy way to catch it, then this tool can come in handy. Even though they’re called “butterfly” nets, they have far more uses than just butterfly catching.
Things To Consider When Buying Butterfly Net
Remember these tips when you’re getting yourself a butterfly net.
Mesh size
Butterflies come in all shapes and sizes. Some may be as little as your thumb, whereas others may be even bigger than your hand in terms of wingspan. With this much variance, it’s important to know what type of butterfly you’ll be catching before buying a net because the size of the mesh is crucial when catching them.
You see, while butterfly nets are relatively weightless, the rod and handle are not. And while they are made out of light materials, they can still affect your swinging speed. So, it’s best to consider smaller nets for smaller butterflies, and larger nets for larger ones. Of course, if you’re familiar with how to use nets, and you think you’re fast enough, any net should do.
Durability
You will only be able to catch butterflies if the net isn’t broken. A broken mesh will just give a space for the butterfly to go through. Similarly, a broken shaft or rod will make it more difficult to handle and swing around the net. And finally, a broken handle just isn’t a joy to deal with, since you won’t feel comfortable holding and swinging.
Durability is vital in a hobby that requires physical effort, such as butterfly catching. Amateurs and kids will likely swing too hard and hit the net on a tree, rock, or somewhere else, which will cause it to slowly break down over time. This can be problematic since an item that would have lasted years will end up breaking in a matter of months or even weeks.
To solve this, you’ll want to pick only the best materials for your net. Luckily, most butterfly nets already have relatively good materials. The net is made out of a high-quality material that’s both light and durable, so even if you swing it around, you won’t feel any resistance. You could even catch some small fish with the net, though that isn’t exactly advised, as the handle may break due to the force exerted by the fish.
Another part that’s made durable is the frame of the net itself. Often made out of stainless steel, the net’s frame is able to handle chips and hits without much trouble. It also shouldn’t rust due to it being stainless. However, because it is a metal, with enough force the net frame can bend, which will permanently ruin the net. Be sure to take care when swinging.
Finally, let’s talk about a certain type of butterfly net – extendable nets. These nets have shafts that can be extended to a certain length so that kids and adults alike can use them. This may be handy and portable, but is it durable? Not really. These types of extendable shafts don’t often have good support on key areas, which means that the shaft can simply break down with enough force. It’s way less sturdy than, say, a single shaft.
In conclusion, durability is what’ll keep your net in good condition, and many nets are made with strong enough materials that you don’t need to be too careful using them. However, you may still want to exercise a bit of care if you plan on using the net for months or even years to come.
Alternately, if you have time you can even try to make a butterfly net all by yourself. Check video below for tips on making a butterfly net.
Butterfly Net Price Range
Butterfly nets are very cheap, mostly thanks due to the cost of materials required to make them. The nets can cost you anywhere between $2 and $10 per net, and around $10-$20 per set. Some higher-quality nets can cost you much, much more, but unless you’re serious about catching butterflies, you only need to spend a little bit of money on simple nets such as the ones we’ve mentioned above. They’re more than enough for casual use, and you won’t have any trouble with them whatsoever.
How We Choose the Best Butterfly Net
We choose our butterfly nets based on their size, shape, color, and brand history.
Compare the Top Butterfly Nets for 2024 in Detail
1RESTCLOUD Insect and Butterfly Net
– Best OverallThis is one of the most popular nets available on Amazon, and for good reason. it’s got a ring that’s 12 inches in diameter, more than enough to catch a single butterfly at a time. In fact, if you’re lucky, you could even catch two or three if they lumped up together. And despite it being relatively large, the net is surprisingly easy to handle, and you’ll find that it glides through the air with little to no resistance. For the avid butterfly catcher, this is the ideal net, and you’ll want to use it as often as possible. The net is quite sturdy, so you don’t need to worry about being somewhat rough with it, either.
2Trasfit Insect and Butterfly Net
– Runner UpThis next net does share some resemblance to the previous net, as they have similar sizes and dimensions. This net features a retractable rod, which means that you can make it short for nearby catching, and long if you want to catch butterflies from far away. It also makes the net useful for kids and adults alike, as you can adjust the length accordingly. Made out of stainless steel, the net can handle quite a few rough swings, and you’ll be able to use it for months and even years on end without it breaking as long as you treat it right.
3Coopay 2 Pieces Butterflies Nets Catching Bug Nets
– Honorable MentionWith two nets to use, this set of nets is perfect if you have more than one child who is interested in some outdoor fun. The net is larger in size compared to the previous one, so they may find it easier to catch with this. Do note, however, that the previous net was designed for fish, whereas this one is designed for insects. So while you can certainly catch fish with this net, don’t expect it to last as long as other nets that were designed specifically for fish.
4With six nets total in this set, there’s a net for pretty much everybody in the family. This array of nets is perfect for families that want to go out on trips outdoors, whether it be in a forest or by the lake. Nets can be used to catch all sorts of critters, and your kids will have fun playing around with them even if they aren’t catching anything. Because they’re designed as butterfly nets, these nets should be completely fine to catch butterflies with.
6 nets may be one net too many for some, and if you’re one of those people, you may prefer having five nets instead. With assorted colors like the previous sets, you can assign a color to a different person. The net is also made out of durable material – stainless steel – so there won’t be any problems with the net itself. Just be sure to teach your kids how to use the net properly, and you’ll have a blast catching butterflies in no time at all.
Just like the previous set of nets, this one is designed to catch butterflies and other types of insects and can be used by up to six people, or more if you’re sharing. Note that there is an assortment of different colors as well, so you’ll be able to give a special color for each of your children, which they will definitely love.
Colors are great for families, especially with kids. They let you know who owns what, and kids love colorful items, which will make them enjoy their own nets. The nets are sturdy enough for even the roughest kids to handle, too, so the only thing you really need to worry about is the difficulty and skill required to actually catch a butterfly.
Fishing nets are, for the most part, not as ideal as insect nets, as the net isn’t designed to be gentle on whatever you’re catching. However, this net does combine both durability and gentleness with its design, allowing you to catch a butterfly without too much difficulty. It’s not as big as other nets in terms of size, as it is more of a toy net rather than an actual net. However, if your kids are fast enough, they can catch butterflies with it just as fast as they can catch fish.
People Also Asked
Q: Are butterfly nets durable?A: Many butterfly nets are made out of sturdy yet light net mesh and stainless steel frames, making them exceptionally durable for the purposes of catching butterflies.
Q: Are butterflies safe inside a net?A: Butterflies, when caught inside a large net, should be completely safe. As long as the net is large enough for the butterfly to fly around in, it should be fine.
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