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Post by timoinsects on Feb 9, 2012 2:16:36 GMT -8
i will soon buy some Riker mounts,for the a few leps display that i had,included which,there's a pair birdwings O.victorea, i want to use a single Riker Mount for the display. but i seldomlly searched there were a lot leps that displaied by Riker Mounts. i would guess most of you would perfer ordinary showcases/drawers which with a certain space?
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Post by admin on Feb 9, 2012 12:16:09 GMT -8
i will soon buy some Riker mounts,for the a few leps display that i had,included which,there's a pair birdwings O.victorea, i want to use a single Riker Mount for the display. but i seldomlly searched there were a lot leps that displaied by Riker Mounts. i would guess most of you would perfer ordinary showcases/drawers which with a certain space? Unless you can make those Rikers pest-proof I would not use them for anything valuable. You might be able to seal them up using black electrical tape to seal the the edges. Has anyone tried this?
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Post by timoinsects on Feb 9, 2012 19:42:30 GMT -8
electrical tape seems does not glue very well.
using Riker mounts has a advantage---convenient to post with the least specimen damange. i may sell them as crafts when i get tired of them. that's a fact i considered.
and,Riker mounts should be opened to check periodically for the pests. i have only a few leps,not much,so i won't have much problem to use them. the cases with a certain space eat too much space. i would reserve for my beetles.
about the method to fumigate,i still need more study and learn.
thank you both Sir for the infomation.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2012 19:58:14 GMT -8
I have used sealed rikers for decades. Before taping with (yes, I use electrician's tape of good quality) black electrician's tape, put a 1cm x 1cm piece of Vapona under the foam not touching or near the specimen. Vapona when sealed in a riker lasts for years. I honestly cannot remember the last time I had an invader. I have, however, put in new Vapona every 10-15 years just to be sure.
The filmy layer between the wings and glass is a pain, but can be cleaned off when opening the riker for putting new Vapona in. Also, many people have had trouble with elec. tape because they stretch it as they put in on. Place it with no stretch and be sure the nail holes are also covered. I use a tape that is 1 1/2 wide and cut a slit in the tape at the corners thus keeping it all as one piece.
I have veered away from the large numbers of rikers in the last years, but that is because I have decided to put them in drawers instead. Some of my most prized specimens have been successfully stored in rikers for years and years.
There are many pros and cons to rikers. It boils down to personal preference. If one moves his/her material a lot, rikers are pretty good and afford decent protection.
btw-----rikers with specimens should never be exposed to sunlight or even artificial light for long periods of time. Fading and dulling does happen.
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Post by lordpandarus on Feb 9, 2012 22:33:53 GMT -8
I lost very few specimens to parasites over the years in Rikers and they aren't sealed. Not more than in pinned frames. Plus parasites are easier to see they leave dust in the filling and you can isolate the problem quickly (freeze the Riker)
I find Rikers protect your spreading job and the specimen better than pinning . The wings stay exactly as you spread them many years later.
Just make sure you cut a slit into the filling for the body, and that the Riker covers do not move laterally (a few pins on each sides)
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Post by lordpandarus on Feb 9, 2012 22:40:57 GMT -8
Yes. You need to remove the cover and clean the glass inside periodically . This isn't damage to the actual damage to the specimen trust me. I have Ornithopera and Morphos in Rikers for over 20 year and they look new. I haven't seen color alteration in other species either.
BUT , DO NOT put Vapona strips under the filling! this WILL damage specimens in rikers (100% confirmed)
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Post by thanos on Feb 9, 2012 23:01:25 GMT -8
I'd never use them for any lep (common or rare). I'd never risk to remove the pin from a dried specimen in order to put it in the riker,I don't like the fact that legs become broken when puting in rikers,and also I prefer to keep a scientific collection and to be able to rearrange my specimens in scientific order in the entomological boxes/drawers easily and without risks of damage,every time I collect/get more species of a genus/specimens of a species.
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Post by lordpandarus on Feb 9, 2012 23:58:05 GMT -8
oh yeah, forgot the legs. I don't have problem if some of them break on butterflies
I break some of them while spreading anyways and a lot of times some already fell off in the papered envelopes. It's in no way a criteria to the quality of butterfly specimen for me
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Post by Chris Grinter on Feb 10, 2012 0:13:06 GMT -8
The one things pins are best at is keeping the data with the specimen. I've seen it before, boxes of riker mounts in museums with peeling labels that fall off. Even labels that were written onto the back of boxes fade, wiped, smuged or are taped over and then when the tape is removed the ink or pencil comes with. And you can never guarantee the riker box wasn't switched out for another one. The only good bet for keeping your data associated long term is with pins.
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Post by lordpandarus on Feb 10, 2012 0:17:42 GMT -8
I my case I have a computer spreadsheet with the data corresponding to the specimens in the rikers
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Post by anthony on Feb 10, 2012 8:34:34 GMT -8
I have used rikers for more than 45 years and overall very satisfied. No system is completely perfect, I have two Atlas moths in rikers since 1969 and both are well. The legs may break as stated before.
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Post by lordpandarus on Feb 10, 2012 9:10:39 GMT -8
Bottom line for me is I cannot do my arrangements exactly like I want them unless I use Rikers. There's a bunch of technical reasons I won't get into but pinned specimens have many drawbacks which over the years led me to prefer Rikers.
Rikers are much more difficult to use correctly though and you can ruin your specimens if you don't know what your doing. I said that many times
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2012 20:10:26 GMT -8
Yes. You need to remove the cover and clean the glass inside periodically . This isn't damage to the actual damage to the specimen trust me. I have Ornithopera and Morphos in Rikers for over 20 year and they look new. I haven't seen color alteration in other species either. BUT , DO NOT put Vapona strips under the filling! this WILL damage specimens in rikers (100% confirmed)[/b] With all due respect to Lordpandorus, I have used Vapona for decades with dozens of rikers and have never had any specimen damage from Vapona. Putting the piece in the corner under the fiberfill does not harm the bugs. Any other people care to share their experience with this? Not to be argumentative, but "100% confirmed" would also have to include my experience which lowers that percentage a bit, for I am not one to confirm that fact.
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Post by lordpandarus on Feb 11, 2012 0:22:31 GMT -8
it depends how close to the specimens the strip is.
I'd say about 5cm radius close to the strip will get damaged
For example if I put the strip in the lower right corner and have a specimen there (you've seen my frames I have specimens close to the edges), over time the right hindwing will change color and have a sort of "oily stain" from the Vapona
I had to replace several specimens for that reason in my last few years overhaul of my collection
It's very "localized" I forgot to mention
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Post by papilio28570 on Feb 12, 2012 8:36:50 GMT -8
My original collection, from the early 1970s, is housed in 34 (12X16) Rikers and are mounted upon the walls of my study. They have not been moved since 1986. They have the original cotton fill rather than the foam material used currently which made placement of the specimen mush easier.
I used silicon sealant inside the back to seal the opening where the wall hook protrudes. I then stapled the sides closed to hold the lid tightly against the bottom section, and then I ran a bead of clear silicon sealant around the outer edge and used my finger to smooth it and wipe away the excess.
This particular part of my collection is of special value since it holds specimens that I collected during military tours of duty in Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Japan, Korea, etc. I wanted to enjoy the memories of those thrilling days of collecting.
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