It’s that time again! Time for the last of the summer Animal Crossing: New Horizons Bug Off tournaments for the Northern Hemisphere! So, get your net ready to catch as many creepy crawlies as you can! Of course, every time this also means a tonne of new Animal Crossing: New Horizons Bug Off rewards to unlock and collect.
You can enter the Bug Off by speaking to Flick in the Plaza in Animal Crossing: New Horizons (opens in new tab). He’ll explain the rules but basically, it’s as many bugs as you can catch in 3 minutes. Thankfully, during these three minutes, it’s impossible for your net to break, so you don’t have to worry too much about having a spare – unlike the Animal Crossing: New Horizons fishing tourney (opens in new tab).
Any bugs that you do manage to snag will be automatically transferred to the big cage next to him, which you can then sell to him later for some extra Bells.
For every bug you catch you’ll earn points. It’s these that you can swap for ‘swag’ aka the full range of Animal Crossing: New Horizons Bug Off rewards. It’s 10 points per prize.
Points work like this:
1 bug caught1 point2 bugs caught2 points3 bugs caught5 points4 bugs caught6 points5 bugs caught7 points6 bugs caught8 points7 bugs caught9 points8 bugs caught10 points9 bugs caught11 points10 bugs caught12 pointsYour first entry into the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Bug Off will be free but after that, it’s 500 Bells a pop. However, sell your bugs to Flick between each round and you’ll be able to more than recoup that cost.
Remember too, that the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Bug Off starts at 9am and finishes at 6pm sharp.
All the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Bug Off rewards to unlock
- Termite mound
- Toy cockroach
- Spider web
- Toy centipede
- Butterflies wall
- Ladybug rug
- Spider doorplate
- Artisanal bug cage
- Bug wand
- Bug Aloha Shirt
- Bug cage (green)
- Butterfly backpack (pink)
- Ladybug umbrella
- Bronze Bug Trophy (after earning 100 points in total)
- Silver Bug Trophy (after earning 200 points in total)
- Gold Bug Trophy (after earning 300 points in total)
Top Animal Crossing: New Horizons Bug Off tips
Before you get started in the Bug Off, why not check out our top tips for help ensure to catch as many bugs as possible in each round.
Don’t run!
When you’re against the clock, it’s easy to think that pegging it around your island is the best course of action. But aside from butterflies, most bugs will fly off if you sprint anywhere near them, so take it steady.
Look in all the usual spots
During a Bug Off, the bugs will still be found in their usual hiding spots while the timer is active. Remember to look on tree trunks, on stumps, fluttering near or on flowers, and even in rivers or ponds.
Don’t worry about carrying a spare net
Unlike your rod for the Fishing Tourney, the game has made it so that your net can’t break if you’re mid-round during the Bug Off. It may break at the end of a round, but at least then you’ve got time to buy or craft a new one.
No doubt this is to balance the fact there’s no bait equivalent for bugs, so you’re all-reliant on your net.
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons tips (opens in new tab)
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