How to Make Your Own Bug Collection

Want to collect some insects so you can look at them more closely? It's very simple and easy to do! Here's how.

Steps

Take a empty glass or plastic box. Select your box's size depending on how many insects you want to collect. Put a layer of foam on the bottom on which to pin the insects.
Find live insects. Identify the insects with a field guide. Kill the insects by putting it in a killing jar or you can put them in plastic containers and store them in the freezer until they are dead, at least an hour. This may not work though, because insects can just "hibernate" in cold climates.
Put the dead insects into your box by pinning. Stick a pin in the upper right part of their thorax from the dorsal view. Arrange the wings and other body parts so that the insect is suitable for display, it should look as though it is still alive. It is ideal to pin insects on the day they are caught, so that they will not harden and become brittle. Since this is not always possible, you may want to store the insect in a "relaxing jar". To give meaning to your collection, group the insects by taxonomic family and order.
Print out a small label that gives information on the insect. Be sure to include the insect's taxonomic order and family, the scientific name, the common name, the date collected, and the collector's name. Remember, any collection without this data is useless. Impale this label with the pin with which you impaled the insect. The pin should resemble a shish kabob with the insect on top and the label on the bottom. If the insect is large, you may pin the label separately.

Learn the basic insect orders and families before you go looking for them.
Find insects you've never seen before. It will make your collection more interesting.
Certain moths require cleaning before they can be pinned.
Join a local entomology club and meet other collectors and insect enthusiasts.
Not all insects are bugs. "Bugs" or "true bugs" belong to the order Hemiptera (suborder Heteroptera), and are characterized by hemielytra and sucking mouthparts.

Beware of the insects' defenses when you collect (stingers, sprayers, jaws, sucking mouthparts, etc.).
Wear some light gloves when handling insects. They may carry diseases.
Find out with your doctor if you are allergic to any type of insects. A dangerous reaction will spoil much more than your Sunday afternoon.
Keep your insect project out of the way of pets and little siblings! They are known for destroying projects.
Don't collect endangered species.