Whether you’ve been missing the static-charged winter or have been dreading the springtime bugs, these experiments should ease your seasonal anxiety.

Explore static electricity by creating an electrophorus or investigate the behaviors of animals in nature while relieving yourself of pests.

#1: Simple Fly Trap

What you’ll need

One plastic bottle — any size

Sturdy tape or hot glue

Honey

Scissors

Step 1: Cut your bottle between the tapered top and the bottom where the straight sides begin.

Step 2: Use glue or tape to attach the top of the bottle upside down inside its base.

Step 3: Insert honey or other sweet, sticky material inside to catch some insects.

#2: Electrophorus

What you’ll need

Pliers

One BIC Pen

One metal thumbtack

One aluminum pie pan

One Styrofoam plate

Hot glue

One wool rag or sweater

Step 1: Use the pliers to remove the ink cartridge from the pen. The body of the pen will be the handle.

Step 2: Place the pie pan upside down on a table and push the thumbtack through the center of the pan.

Step 3: Leaving the thumbtack intact, turn the pan over and coat the tip of the tack with hot glue.

Step 4: Place the bottom of the empty pen onto the glue, holding until dry.

Step 5: Rub the Styrofoam plate for 45 seconds with the wool and place upside down on the table.

Step 6: Hold on to the pie pan by the pen handle and place the pie pan — right-side up — onto the Styrofoam plate. Touch the pie plate with your fingers to discharge an electric shock.