A Newbie needs help!!!!

[beetleman]

Hi

I am just getting started collecting beetles and I have a couple of questions based on my first bad experience.

A couple of years ago I bought some dried specimens from an online dealer. Regrettably, having no experience, I did not do anything to prevent them becoming infested. When I looked at them a few months later, they were turning to dust and I had to throw them all out.

I have decided to try again and I wanted to know what I should do to prevent them becoming infested, or if they do come infested from the dealer, what I should do to kill off the pests?

The other question I have is this: Is there anything I can do to preserve/increase the look and color of the beetles? There is a store here in New York that sells framed Beetles and the specimens look beautiful; brightly colored and shiny. However, when I received my Beetles, they did not look this nice: they were duller and the colors were not as bright. Is this store doing something to the Beetles that I can do myself to help enhance the look and presentation?

Many thanks in advance for any help with these questions!!

[arrowhead]

Hi. I'm fairly new myself. Many folks have different methods,especialy as to how you keep your specimens--carded or pinned. I keep mine carded in Riker mount cases and keep mothball fragments under the foam. I've never had a problem that way. Any pre-infested bugs may have their larva to survive and I've been told it's good to put them in the freezer overnight to kill them off. Be careful handling and inhaling the fumes from the mothballs, of course. I am sure in time others wil offer differrent and probably better advice. Good luck with your collecting. Here in the States things are getting in swing.
Cheers
arrowhead

[starlightcriminal]

I use moth balls too- they're so bad for everything living it makes me feel comfortable that my specimens are safe. It's "old fashioned" but quite effective.

[beetleman]

Thanks for the info arrowhead & starlightcriminal...I will try freezing them when they come.

If anyone else has any info or techniques, please feel free to post.

And if you have any info on my second question, that would be really helpful as I would like to frame some specimens and I would like them to look their best.

Thanks!

[starlightcriminal]

Sorry, got distracted by the first question- the trick for color is going to be acetone treatment. Dull beetles sometimes only need the wash to get "grease" off the specimen which might be obscuring the color. Otherwise it is from pigment degradation, which can be prevented by soaking in acetone. Butterflies reflect light in the colors that we see, it is a function of the structure of their scales. Insects with pigments, like Odonata, get their color from proteins which denature as they decay and thus lose their brilliance and luster. To prevent this, we must treat the insects with something that "fixes" the proteins, in essence permanently stabilizing them in their native condition. You will be able to find in depth discussions of what the best way to achieve this is and it does vary a little by which protein-based color you want preserve, etc. Generally it's done by mounting the specimen, VERY freshly killed, and submerging in high quality acetone for a period of days to weeks, depending on the size of the specimen (sometimes we also inject directly into the body before submerging for particularly large specimens). Anyway, I recommend doing a quick search of the forums and on Google for information about preserving color in insect specimens. It might be easiest on Google if you try something like "preserving dragonfly colors" or some other order where this problem is a guarantee.

I personally use anhydrous acetone for the few things I do collect with unstable pigments. It works quite well for me. Just be aware that it dries the specimens out so they can't be easily repositioned, even while still in the acetone. It's important to get them spread quickly before the pigments start to degrade and before you put them in acetone. Remember to use a pinning board that can be submerged in acetone- plastics, foams, etc. will melt more often than not (very clear plastic especially like polycarbonate is not good, polypropylene will tolerate acetone).

Good luck!

[starlightcriminal]

I should add that once a pigment is denatured it cannot be restored (which is why you ideally work with fresh-killed material only; even in the freezer many proteinaceous pigments will degrade). In stores, sometimes badly discolored specimens are painted to look vibrant again. Obviously that's not desirable, pigment fixation is preferred.

[beetleman]

Many thanks starlightcriminal!

I guess if I am buying from an online dealer, there is not much I can do then as they aren't freshly killed, correct?

Is there any type of material that I can use on beetles that is safe for cleaning and can bring out the color/shine better for display?

Thanks!

[prillbug2]

I use a combination of no pest strips that I buy in the store and paradichlorobenzene. I cut the no pest strips into strips and pin them in the corners of the cases. Always use gloves. Then I pin a card in the corner and place the paradichlorobenzene inside. The cards have holes poked in them for better dispersal of the fumes. Another method that I use is to get a couple of boards of cedar wood and run them through the saw to collect the wood frass. This I use as a deterent, too. Placing it in the corner of the case and in the same cards. It works pretty good and it's cheaper than the cedar oil. So, I have three different ways of killing dermestids, and I don't see them very often.
Jeff Prill

[thanos]

Why don't you use camphor ? Paradichlorobenzene causes cancer ! Camphor is not dangerous for our health,plus I use it for many years in my collection and have almost ZERO Dermestid infections !

Thanos

[prillbug2]

My collection is down in the basement. I never notice it.
Jeff Prill

[coleophile]

I am using cedar oil, after getting inspired to try it after reading some posts here.

I have dermestid larvae in my house (too many!) and none have penetrated my wooden drawers, or even my cheap cardboard storage boxes from Bioquip in the last six months or so with the cedar oil. I'm using quite a bit (a couple ml or so), squirted into course grain sawdust in a small glass receptacle (actually a votive candle holder). I see no negative effects of any kind for my insect specimens, either. I bought my cedar oil from Southwestern Cedar oil.