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Freezer
Nov 11, 2013 4:32:41 GMT -8
Post by wollastoni on Nov 11, 2013 4:32:41 GMT -8
Hello
I have just bought a freezer in my new appartment in Milano and I would like to know how you use it to protect your collections: - how long should we put specimens to be sure all dermestid eggs are killed ? - can I put a full drawer into the fridge or will it damage the wood - can I put tupperware full of papered specimen into the fridge - any other advice ?
Thanks Olivier
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Freezer
Nov 11, 2013 4:37:43 GMT -8
Post by africaone on Nov 11, 2013 4:37:43 GMT -8
- you must have a deep freezer ! (-18 or more) (choose a "bahut") - drawers can be put without damages (but do not open when yet frezzed !!!) - no problem with Tupperware
the only method to kill all the parasites (chemicals are not always efficient and it is quite bad for the health)
you must have completely hermetical boxes !
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Freezer
Nov 11, 2013 7:45:32 GMT -8
Post by wollastoni on Nov 11, 2013 7:45:32 GMT -8
Thanks Thierry
I only use new and hermetical boxes but my problem is dermestid sometimes lay eggs in my specimens when they are on the spreading boards and enter my drawers this way. Example, I let 4 Lycaenidae on a spreading board for 2 months (too long I know but I was moving to Milano and had no time to put them in drawers... all of them have been totally destroyed by dermestids on the spreading boards... including some nice specimens from Como Lake...
How long should I keep the specimens in the freeze to be sure to kill all eggs and larvas ?
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Freezer
Nov 11, 2013 7:58:55 GMT -8
Post by nomihoudai on Nov 11, 2013 7:58:55 GMT -8
There is research papers suggesting that 6 to 18 hours is already enough. Put it to full power and just let them in for a day.
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Freezer
Nov 11, 2013 8:25:31 GMT -8
Post by africaone on Nov 11, 2013 8:25:31 GMT -8
I think that some days is a minimum to be sure. I personally let them at least one week or more. (In IRSNB they let the boxes 3 weeks)
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Post by bobw on Nov 11, 2013 8:25:54 GMT -8
I don't believe that freezing kills eggs, but it does kill larvae and adults. As far as I'm aware the recommended procedure is to freeze a drawer for 72 hours to kill any larvae and adults, then to leave it at room-temperature for a few days to allow any eggs to hatch, then to freeze for another 72 hours to kill any hatched larvae.
Tupperware boxes with papered specimens are no problem. With drawers of set specimens, many people put them in sealed plastic bags to prevent too much condensation and protect the wood.
Bob
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Freezer
Nov 11, 2013 9:34:24 GMT -8
Post by o0osteve on Nov 11, 2013 9:34:24 GMT -8
I usually put the whole draw in the freezer, wrapped in a dustbin bag to protect it. I leave it in for at least 72 hours that is usually enough to kill the eggs.
i know the Museums freeze dry there specimens and this is basically the same thing.
Steve
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leptraps
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Posts: 2,397
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Freezer
Nov 12, 2013 5:32:07 GMT -8
Post by leptraps on Nov 12, 2013 5:32:07 GMT -8
I have a chest type deep freezer in my garage and another freezer as part of a Refrigerator in my work room. Virtually every specimen that I bring home or that is given to me passes through a freezer. I use bio-seal storage containers to prevent the freezer from drying my specimens. I recently spread some specimens I collected in 1995 and after removing them from the freezer I placed them in my relaxing container for 24 hours and they are soft as the day I collected them.
When I prepare my specimens on spreading boards, the boards are placed in a storage cabinet that is air tight and light tight. I had the good fortune in life to work for the Interior Steel Equipment Co. One of their product lines was Museum Storage Equipment (Safe-Store was the Trade Make Name). I have one cabinet for spreading boards and temporary storage boxes. The cabinet will hold 90+ spreading boards. I also have twelve other cabinets for the Cornell drawers of my collection, all from Interior Steel. I also have one 25 drawer Lane cabinet and one 24 drawer BioQuip cabinet. Every cabinet has a metal box container for PCB which is attached to the door with magnetic tape. I add PCB three or four times per year. This collection is 60 years old and only once in 60 years have I had a pest in a Cornell drawer. And that was 50+ years ago.
Two pounds or 453g of PCB will fill all of the containers in every cabinet. Once the PCB is sealed inside the cabinet it will prevent pest from entering them. My collection is my life's work and I have disciplined myself to prevent moisture and pests from damaging my collection.
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Freezer
Nov 12, 2013 7:51:51 GMT -8
Post by jonathan on Nov 12, 2013 7:51:51 GMT -8
My method is very simple. All specimens off the setting boards go straight to the freezers for at least 48 hours. Like this I don't have problems with other bugs.
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Freezer
Nov 14, 2013 10:39:39 GMT -8
Post by Borja Gómez on Nov 14, 2013 10:39:39 GMT -8
Hello My personal experience is as following: Every material received by anyone or collected personally should be freezed just as a profilaxis measure just in case some polizons enters the parcel. Freezing doesn't affect in any way insect specimens, and you can keep them in the freezer papered or in envelopes, that's no problem. For drawers of your own collection you can use a plastic bag for protecting the drawer from moist. I normally keep for 12-24 hours. This is enough for killing: - Living insects that may come into parcels. It's not the first time I receive parcels from Africa or South america with some small diptera or coleoptera alive inside, so freezeing it's the best way to ensure this polizons die. As I sais 12 hours it's effective enough in all cases I've seen. - If some of the specimens have mold, freezeing it's the best way to ensure that the mold dies and stops spreading and won't be affecting more of the undamaged ones (and also keep in dry enviroment after this to prevent mold). - I have check with my own collection that freezing drawers for a period of 12-24 hours, kills dermestid larvae and adults. Also I had a Psocoptera plague once in a orthoptera drawer. It was perfectly killed too with this method. -No drawer is totally and perfectly hermectic, so I always check every 6 months all the drawers and material looking for signs of incipient pests coming. In the meanwhile, moth balls help too to avoid the growing of the pest population. Keep sharing your methods guys Regards
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