how to avoid bugs in sand pits

[missingmyflatbelly]

hi

just picked a sand pit table thingy today, its got a lid but ive heard you can still get creepy crawly nasties in them...any tips on how to get them to stay away as i'm not too keen on them i must say...

thanks

I've never found creepy crawlies in ours, we've had the same sand table for 4 years with no problems. Each year I do change the sand completely, just once per year, as it can get a bit manky, it's good to spread it on the garden, helps with drainage so it's not like a waste. I suggest just keep the lid on when it's not in use. By manky sand I just mean that the kids sometimes mix in soil and gravel and water, then drive toy cars and diggers round it so after a while it's not pristine any more.

also - I think as you bought a table that will help, ours is a table, by having it off the ground that must help minimise the creepy crawlies. Just remembered our lid came apart after the first year, since then we've just put a heavy flat piece of wood over it which does OK. Still no beasties in ours.

No beasties in ours either excepts the dcs!

oh thats good hopefully ours will be bug free too, though i think i will always be apprehensive when i first get the lid off

You can wash the sand rather than replacing it if you've got nowhere to scatter it. Just fill the sandpit with water and skim all the bits off the surface, then bail out.

You will probably not find any bugs as the children will eat them. Mine did

Lol at eating the bugs! Ds will Probably try!

My sand always seems to be hopping with little bugs, snails and spiders - I even found a poor dessicated newt last year. I tend to replace the sand once a year, but use it in the garden rather than throw it away. Don't suppose the insects do any harm though, but I'm a bit wary of the kind of bacteria you might find in stagnant water, anaerobic conditions and with some organic matter. Simply put - it looks a bit too manky.

Beamur, is yours in a covered raised table-type thing? Or at ground level?

We have one of the ELC tables and it's been outside for a while, covered, but I haven't investigated it lately. I am bad at coping with horrendipedes and the like.

Its one of those tortoise shaped plastic ones with a lid, so more or less ground level, but my garden is south facing and damp so crawling with bugs n slugs.

bugs? what sort?

ds is 9 and we have never had bugs in ours and even if we did they would be a good play item

Beamur that's what I was worried about!! Ours is a table which apparently is better.whT do u mean about stagnant water? I put the water in fresh on that side of the table and empty and clean in after...agree it would be a health hazard otherwise!!

The sand in our sandpit can get a bit damp, we often seem to get those little jumping beetles in ours.

Disassembled ours the other day (ELC table one) and the cross-over stand bit under the sandpit itself was crawling with earwigs.

Oh dear!

I use an old fine-mesh sieve to clean our sand up when it's dry.

I think the earwigs prefer to harrass my tomatoes.

the bugs are the best bit!!!! my lot love sitting and squashing watching insects

Kids Need Bugs - fact