Cricket Collector

This is a miniature vacuum-based device for capturing live reptile food. As implemented here it can catch about a half-dozen small crickets and hold them in the collection tube while the fan is running. Let go of the trigger to drop them into another container or your pet's enclosure.

Non-printable parts:
- clear plastic tube 20mm dia x 250mm
- 5015-style 5vdc brushless radial fan
- doorbell switch
- 9v battery connector
- 9v battery
- screws to retain fan and switch

This was designed around a piece of clear styrene(?) tubing and a doorbell switch I happened to have on hand. I'm currently experimenting with refinements to increase the (negative) static intake pressure of the fan in hopes of creating a more powerful vacuum effect.

I tried an axial-flow fan and rejected it: the static pressure was far too low and it blew frass and shed cricket skins in my face. :-P