I discovered a repeatable loop during the Heartopia winter event that levels insect hobby progress insanely fast and turns a mountain of bugs into serious gold. I want to walk you through the exact setup, the step-by-step loop I run with a full lobby, and the small tactics that multiply catches and money. This is the method I used to hit max bug catching and rake in roughly 600K gold over a few hours.
Where to run this: private lobbies and group size
Run the frosty bug event on a private server and invite other players. I host 12-player lobbies because the event scales best with a full group. You can do this with fewer people, but with 10–12 players the loop becomes fastest and most profitable since everyone can collect buffs and swarm phases are frequent.
Quick hosting checklist
- From the main menu choose a private server and invite up to 12 players.
- Coordinate so players take turns using attractors (more on that below).
- Expect to share some of the start-up cost if players swap hosting duties.
What you need to bring
The core item is the inflatable insect attractor. It turns swarm outbreaks into a rapid-fire spawn point for butterflies and other event insects.
Important notes:
- You unlock insect attractors as low as insect level 4.
- Bring multiple attractors — I keep dozens in my inventory so I can pop one whenever a swarm starts.
- If you lack attractors you can still farm bugs and earn progress, but the lure is the multiplier.
The loop: step-by-step
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Start the event on your private server and give players a minute to collect initial buffs (small white bubbles with green arrows). These buffs increase catch effectiveness for everyone.
- Wait for a swarm outbreak. Swarms are the trigger that make a single attractor truly explosive.
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Deploy an attractor in the swarm area. The person who drops the attractor gets rapid-fire spawns centered on that lure. Stand on or near the lure and spam catches.
- Collect buffs while spamming. Keep an eye out for the white buff bubbles and pick them up whenever possible to keep your catch bonus high.
- Rotate the attractor. Only one player can actively benefit from the rapid-fire effect at a time in a given secondary area. Take turns so everyone gets a chance to spam the lure.
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Move with the phases. After phase one completes you’ll move to phase two, then potentially to the bonus truffle island (phase three). Repeat the deploy-and-spam tactic each phase.
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Sell aggressively. Most of the bugs are event-limited currency. I sell the bulk and keep at least one five-star of each frost butterfly as a collectible.
Truffle island and rare red frost butterflies
When the event transfers to the final area you’ll usually land on the truffle island. This area spawns the rare red frost butterflies that sell for a lot and are exclusive to the event. Same strategy: wait for a swarm, drop the attractor near the campsite or beach, and spam catches.
Verification, mastery, and trophies
You’ll collect hundreds of each bug if you run this loop — this unlocks verification or mastery for individual insects and gives you a collectible trophy item you can place in your house. To check verification go to your collection, open insect story, and look at the verification/record icon.
Why this works
- Attractor multiplier converts a swarm into a concentrated spawn point, producing massive drops quickly.
- Buffs and swarms stack so collecting team buffs right before an attractor pop multiplies XP and drop rates.
- Higher hobby level equals higher chance for five-star drops, which contributes to event stars and collection completion.
- Event star progression — every five-star on a bug gives stars toward winter event rewards like ornaments, trophies, and wishing stars.
Results I saw
After repeatedly running this loop I pushed insect hobby levels quickly and sold batches of insects for huge amounts. Example numbers from my sessions:
- Single batch: ~188,000 gold before membership bonus; ~207,000 gold with membership.
- Over multiple runs in a few hours: roughly 600,000 gold total.
Practical tips and small optimizations
- Collect every buff you see. Team-wide catches improve dramatically when everyone picks them up.
- Take turns using attractors so the cost and the benefit are shared and everyone levels up.
- Save one five-star of each frost butterfly for your collection — they are event-exclusive.
- Watch the phase timer at the top of the screen so you can place an attractor in the next phase without wasting time.
- Rotate hosts if starting the event is costly; swapping hosting duties spreads the gold cost across the group.
- Membership boosts increase net gain on sales, so if you have membership you’ll cash out even faster.
Event rewards and the big picture
As you collect five-star bugs and fill insect collections you earn event stars. These stars unlock rewards like the insect trophy, snowflake items, butterfly ornaments, and wishing stars. The attractor loop accelerates both hobby leveling and the chance of five-star drops, which helps you complete the event milestones much faster.
Quick checklist before you run
- Private server with players invited (ideally 12)
- At least a few inflatable insect attractors per player
- Pick up buffs early and consistently
- Coordinate attractor turns so one person is not spamming them the whole time
- Save a five-star of every frost butterfly, sell the rest
This loop turned into my go-to winter event strategy because it is fast, repeatable, and profitable. If you want help coordinating a group or want specific timing advice for where to place attractors during each phase, ask below and I’ll share what I’ve tested.
