How to Unlock the Bug Net and Catch Creepy Crawlies in Moonlight Peaks

Stepping out of your gothic manor and into the cool, atmospheric night of your new supernatural farm is a breathtaking experience. The developers at Little Chicken Game Company have packed the environment with ambient life to make the world feel truly alive. However, early players are running into a very specific, slightly frustrating roadblock during their initial nights in town.

According to recent coverage, in the first few days after moving to Moonlight Peaks, you will notice a variety of beautiful, spooky bugs flying and scurrying around your overgrown fields. The problem? You have absolutely no way to catch them right away.

For veterans of the farming simulation genre, seeing a glowing phantom moth flutter past your face while your pockets are empty is agonizing. Unlike some cozy games that hand you your essential gear all at once, acquiring your entomology equipment here requires a bit of patience. We have gathered everything confirmed and expected about the insect-catching mechanics, how to get your hands on that elusive net, and what you should do with your creepy-crawly collection once you finally start scooping them up.

Surviving the First Few Nights Without a Net

The opening moments of your supernatural life are focused heavily on clearing debris, planting your first batch of cursed seeds, and getting to know the locals. You will likely spend hours chopping dead wood, talking to the werewolf next door, and figuring out the basics of farming and enchanted crops.

During this initial grind, the game intentionally teases you. Scurrying beetles will dart out from under rocks as you break them. Ethereal, bioluminescent butterflies will drift lazily around the streetlamps in the main town hub. Your natural instinct is to grab them, but pressing your action buttons will do nothing.

Do not panic, and more importantly, do not waste your precious nighttime hours trying to trap them in a corner. The game requires you to progress through the early tutorial days before the necessary tool becomes available. Enjoy the visual ambiance they provide for now, and focus on gathering standard resources like wood, stone, and the starter forage items dotting the landscape. The bugs will still be there when you are finally equipped to deal with them.

Unlocking the Bug Net

The exact trigger for the Bug Net is tied to early-game progression. While the specific day and time can vary slightly depending on how fast you complete the introductory quests, community-reported findings suggest it generally happens within the first in-game week.

You will want to keep a close eye on your mailbox and the town’s local shops. Usually, farming sims handle tool distribution by having a specific NPC—perhaps the local blacksmith, an eccentric witch, or a dedicated supernatural researcher—visit your farm to hand over the basic version of the net. Alternatively, it is expected that players might need to purchase the entry-level net from a general store using their hard-earned initial profits.

To ensure you do not miss it, make it a habit to check the jobs and job board daily and speak to every shopkeeper during their operational hours. Getting this tool early is crucial because bugs are not just decorative; they are heavily integrated into the broader economy and crafting systems.

The Mechanics of the Catch

Once you have the net equipped, Moonlight Peaks reportedly adopts a line-of-sight and proximity-based catching mechanic. You cannot just run wildly through a patch of flowers swinging your net and expect to catch anything rare.

The basic ground-dwelling bugs might let you jog up to them, but the highly sought-after magical flying insects require finesse. You need to walk slowly, holding down your tool action button to ready the net, and release it only when the bug is perfectly highlighted in your catching radius.

A fascinating aspect of traversing this game is your vampiric abilities. Players are already testing how shapeshifting and bat form interacts with insect hunting. Can you fly up to a rare moth resting on a high branch, shift back to your vampire form, and immediately swing the net? While unconfirmed officially, community members anticipate that mastering your transformations will be the key to catching the most difficult, flighty insects that spawn on the peaks.

Upgrading Your Equipment

Getting the basic Bug Net is only step one. Just as you cannot break the toughest boulders with your starter pickaxe, your basic net will not be sufficient forever.

Recent guides focusing on the game’s subterranean areas confirm that mining is a massive part of a farm’s daily routine, explicitly stating that you must upgrade your tools to access the game’s best resources. This philosophy absolutely applies to your Bug Net as well.

As you dive deeper into the catacombs and gather rare ores—like silver, gold, or perhaps cursed supernatural variants—you will need to take these materials to the local upgrade specialist. For a complete breakdown of how the tier system works, check our broader guide on tools and upgrades.

An upgraded net is expected to have a wider swing radius, a faster animation speed, and possibly the ability to catch magical bugs that would otherwise burn or phase through a standard mesh. Do not neglect your pickaxe, because the ore you pull from the earth is directly tied to your success as a bug catcher.

What to Do With Your Caught Bugs

So, you have successfully sneaked up on a glowing spider and scooped it into your inventory. What is the actual point of hoarding these little creatures? Based on the deep crafting systems present in the game, insects serve several critical roles.

Fueling Your Witchcraft

The most prominent use for bugs will undoubtedly be potion brewing. Witches and vampires alike rely on cauldrons, and you cannot make a proper magical brew without some creepy ingredients.

Specific bugs are expected to be the catalyst for high-tier potions. Need to brew an Alter Ego Elixir to temporarily change your faction alignment or boost your movement speed? You will likely need a rare moth that only spawns during a full moon. Having a diverse stockpile of insects in your storage chests will save you massive headaches when a quest suddenly demands a complex spell. If you are struggling with the exact recipes, keep our witchcraft and spells page bookmarked.

Gifting to the Locals

Moonlight Peaks features over 15 romanceable characters across the seven founding families, including werewolves, mermaids, and fellow vampires. Gifting is the fastest way to their hearts, and supernatural beings have very specific tastes.

While a bouquet of black roses is a safe bet for a vampire, a werewolf or a swamp-dwelling witch might actually love receiving a rare stag beetle or a toxic centipede. Figuring out who appreciates these multi-legged gifts will save you money, as you will not have to buy expensive presents from the store. We are continuously updating our gifts and friendship charts to map out exactly which NPCs get excited over a jar of glowing fireflies.

Making Quick Cash

When in doubt, sell them. In the early game, before your enchanted crops have fully matured, you will be desperate for inventory expansions and seeds. Bugs are a fantastic, renewable source of daily income.

Since they respawn every night and cost no energy or mana to grow, doing a lap around the map to catch common beetles and moths is a pure profit activity. Just be sure to cross-reference our money and selling guide so you do not accidentally vendor an ultra-rare bug that you might need for a critical story quest later down the line.

Expected Bug Species and Habitats

While the full encyclopedia of available insects is still being documented by the community, early observations point to a deeply thematic roster of creatures. You will not just be catching standard ladybugs and butterflies.

Players can expect to find variants like the Grave Beetle scurrying around the local cemetery, or the Bioluminescent Cave-Moth lingering near the entrances to the mines. Weather and lunar cycles are also reported to heavily influence spawn rates. A rainy night might bring out supernatural slugs, while a blood moon could trigger the appearance of aggressive, high-value arachnids.

Make sure to check different biomes. The damp, mossy areas near the mermaid habitats will host vastly different creepy crawlies compared to the dense, pine-covered werewolf territories.

Final Thoughts on the Hunt

The addition of bug catching adds a much-needed layer of ambient interactivity to the world of Moonlight Peaks. It forces you to slow down, observe your surroundings, and appreciate the gorgeous, moody lighting the developers have crafted.

While the initial wait to unlock the Bug Net might test your patience during those first few in-game nights, the payoff is immense. Between funding your early farm expansions, brewing complex magical elixirs, and wooing the local supernatural singles, your net will quickly become one of the most used items on your tool wheel. Keep an eye on the shadows, watch your step, and happy hunting!