All the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Bug Off rewards you can unlock

(Image credit: Nintendo)

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. 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.

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:

Swipe to scroll horizontally
1 bug caught1 point
2 bugs caught2 points
3 bugs caught5 points
4 bugs caught6 points
5 bugs caught7 points
6 bugs caught8 points
7 bugs caught9 points
8 bugs caught10 points
9 bugs caught11 points
10 bugs caught12 points

Your 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

(Image credit: Nintendo)
  • 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!

(Image credit: Nintendo)

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

(Image credit: Nintendo)

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

(Image credit: Nintendo)

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. 

Sam Loveridge
Global Editor-in-Chief, GamesRadar+

Sam Loveridge is the Global Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar, and joined the team in August 2017. Sam came to GamesRadar after working at TrustedReviews, Digital Spy, and Fandom, following the completion of an MA in Journalism. In her time, she's also had appearances on The Guardian, BBC, and more. Her experience has seen her cover console and PC games, along with gaming hardware, for a decade, and for GamesRadar, she's in charge of the site's overall direction, managing the team, and making sure it's the best it can be. Her gaming passions lie with weird simulation games, big open-world RPGs, and beautifully crafted indies. She plays across all platforms, and specializes in titles like Pokemon, Assassin's Creed, The Sims, and more. Basically, she loves all games that aren't sports or fighting titles! In her spare time, Sam likes to live like Stardew Valley by cooking and baking, growing vegetables, and enjoying life in the countryside.