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Crisis!
Sept 4, 2011 8:20:07 GMT -8
Post by Khalid Fadil on Sept 4, 2011 8:20:07 GMT -8
Yet another specimen has been lost to the Dermestiids... This would be the third specimen this year... These little devils are persistent! Fumigants aren't working! Any ideas...? That used to be a pretty little Lymantriidae I collected from Fraser's Hill... Attachments:
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Crisis!
Sept 4, 2011 8:54:36 GMT -8
Post by Adam Cotton on Sept 4, 2011 8:54:36 GMT -8
That looks more like Psocid damage. Psocids are tiny insects that strip all the scales off the wings of Leps, and eventually eat the whole specimen. They actually eat the microscopic fungal growth that is found on the surface of specimens' wings, especially in humid conditions.
They are very difficult to eradicate, as they hide in very small spaces, including pin holes in the bottom of draws. One way to control them (which you will not be able to use if your draws are lined with foam) is to put a small amount of ethyl acetate into the draw and close the lid. This will evaporate and kill anything inside the draw. The problem with using foam is that the vapour will attack foam and result in a gooey mess. Of course, if your draws are not airtight Psocids will return soon after the ethyl acetate has evaporated. The main problem is a byproduct of high humidity in tropical climate. We mentioned this in other posts on the forum, and airconditioning is the best preventative, which you have already stated is not convenient for you, particularly due to the high costs involved.
Adam.
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Crisis!
Sept 4, 2011 17:55:28 GMT -8
Post by Khalid Fadil on Sept 4, 2011 17:55:28 GMT -8
Oh, crap... My drawers are makeshift wardrobes! There's no way they're airtight! I've been wanting to get an entomological display cabinet, but my parents won't allow it. I've said this many times before: ''They're not really on the same page with me when it comes to insect collecting.''
They don't understand how hurtful it is for me to know that my collection is being destroyed as well as the fact that I can't do jack about it. All my efforts of collecting and building up my collection are going to waste.
Crapola...
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Crisis!
Sept 4, 2011 18:32:26 GMT -8
Post by lordpandarus on Sept 4, 2011 18:32:26 GMT -8
Parasites are the most annoying thing and I'm not sure any collection is fully safe from them
I only get 2-3 butterflies destroyed every year,but you never know which is the next "victim". Will it be that super hard to find butterfly that you can't replace?
I mostly control parasites by immediately freezing the frame I spot some in , but it's not fool proof.
I get about 50% attacks by dermestids (make holes in wings and bodies) and 50% by these "Psocids" or whatever they are that eat the scales (they are are very difficult to see but leave a tell tale dust trail in my Riker mount filling)
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Crisis!
Sept 4, 2011 20:49:12 GMT -8
Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2011 20:49:12 GMT -8
Sorry to hear of your losses I am figuring that your boxes have lids and are somewhat tight, but not airtight. So.....and I don't know if you can get this where you live......try to get some Vapona and put pieces of it suspended on pins in the boxes. This will kill all in each box. This lasts a long time and is less offensive to the nose. It would be ideal to try to seal them somehow as best you can, but they do work. You may have to order it from overseas which would be costly, but I'm just trying to suggest a cure for your dilemma. Link to BioQuip product like what I use is below. Mine are cut into square cm pieces and each piece suspended on a pin protect up to a year depending on how often you open the box and how loose the fit is. www.bioquip.com/Search/DispProduct.asp?pid=1196Good luck
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Crisis!
Sept 4, 2011 22:10:03 GMT -8
Post by Khalid Fadil on Sept 4, 2011 22:10:03 GMT -8
Lids? WHAT LIDS? The drawers I'm using are pathetic, mate... They're just ordinary drawers which used to store underpants and socks. I lined the base with Styrofoam. That's it.
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Deleted
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Crisis!
Sept 5, 2011 8:38:19 GMT -8
Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2011 8:38:19 GMT -8
Ooops, sorry.....I assumed wrongly. My thinking is that your number one goal at this point is to somehow find a better means of storing your insects. Well, how about putting your specimens into cigar boxes w lids. Really.... one surely needs to cover the material even if it is a mere cardboard lid from a cigar box. Also, one could purchase a few of those air-tight plastic sweater boxes and put styrofoam on the bottom. Heck, if all one could get is shoe boxes, that would be better than an open "sock drawers" place to put specimens. 1. Find a closed container to store specimens w tightly fitting lid 2. put a pinning bottom in it 3. get some of that Vapona 4. obtain some entomological pins (also sold at BioQuip)--sizes 1,2, and 3. 5. Relax, for you have put your specimens in a secure container w lid and Vapona is protecting your bugs from all invaders
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Crisis!
Sept 7, 2011 7:46:17 GMT -8
Post by Khalid Fadil on Sept 7, 2011 7:46:17 GMT -8
Ooops, sorry.....I assumed wrongly. My thinking is that your number one goal at this point is to somehow find a better means of storing your insects. Well, how about putting your specimens into cigar boxes w lids. Really.... one surely needs to cover the material even if it is a mere cardboard lid from a cigar box. Also, one could purchase a few of those air-tight plastic sweater boxes and put styrofoam on the bottom. Heck, if all one could get is shoe boxes, that would be better than an open "sock drawers" place to put specimens. 1. Find a closed container to store specimens w tightly fitting lid 2. put a pinning bottom in it 3. get some of that Vapona 4. obtain some entomological pins (also sold at BioQuip)--sizes 1,2, and 3. 5. Relax, for you have put your specimens in a secure container w lid and Vapona is protecting your bugs from all invaders Thanks for the advice.
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Crisis!
Sept 12, 2011 20:40:54 GMT -8
Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Sept 12, 2011 20:40:54 GMT -8
I have just gotten started, but I am using wooden cigar boxes with the wooden lids replaced with plexi glass to make display cases. I created a beetle display before I actually got into collecting and just last week I discovered that one of my carrion beetles was being eaten by dermestids. The moth crystals seemed to have no effect at all on them so I stuck the box in the freezer overnight. When I pulled it out, I found one dead beetle and a couple of dead larva next to the half eaten carrion beetle. Luckily I only lost one beetle and it should be easily replaced by digging through some rotting roadkill (not looking forward to that!). The freezer saved me from it spreading through the rest of my collection.
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Crisis!
Sept 12, 2011 21:22:12 GMT -8
Post by Chris Grinter on Sept 12, 2011 21:22:12 GMT -8
I'd freeze the box a little longer than 24 hours. Our standard policy at the museum is 48-72 hours at least, or two 24 hours freezes with a warm break in between. A short freeze will kill adults and larvae but not necessarily eggs, which can be tough suckers.
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Crisis!
Sept 12, 2011 21:33:46 GMT -8
Post by Rev. Redmond Farrier on Sept 12, 2011 21:33:46 GMT -8
So I still may have eggs?? Thank you!! My boxes will go back into the freezer right away!
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Crisis!
Sept 12, 2011 21:34:44 GMT -8
Post by Khalid Fadil on Sept 12, 2011 21:34:44 GMT -8
My freezer can't fit anything at the moment! Its full of my mom's groceries!
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Crisis!
Sept 13, 2011 1:49:11 GMT -8
Post by jackblack on Sept 13, 2011 1:49:11 GMT -8
Probably cheapest and simplest method would be to use styrofoam boxes , the type they send brocolli in the the shopping centre or send frozen fish in , new they sell for about $5.00 a box in Australia , they are airtight , a spash of napthalene in the bottom and your insects are safe as , I store my specimens for sale in such boxes and never had a pest in it or mould they are airtight . Wasting all your effort keeping insects in a wardrobe ! You can put layers of pinned insects in on top of each other in these styro boxes , the next styro layer simply sits on top of the pin heads of the specimens below , cheap , simple and ensures your insects will be safe tilll you get some proper cabinets, I also live in a wet humid climate 90%+ humidity most of the year. I know some guys who live in a dry climate and they store their insects in an old refrigirator that doesn`t work , sealed airtight also.
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Crisis!
Sept 13, 2011 2:49:51 GMT -8
Post by lepidofrance on Sept 13, 2011 2:49:51 GMT -8
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Crisis!
Sept 13, 2011 6:09:44 GMT -8
Post by starlightcriminal on Sept 13, 2011 6:09:44 GMT -8
Still done this way I believe at McGuire with and added fumigation step. They're bombed and then frozen before being archived. I think they freeze for two weeks.
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