Hello, one question about drying beetles.

[manuelfer001]

Hello, i´m Manuel Fernando and i have a question. 

I´m a amateur entomologist and now i´m realizing an entomological investigation, focussed in Coleoptera. I collected many specimens in alcohol, and now i need pinning and dry it. Always i dry the insects at enviroment conditions during 1 week, but here in the rainforest of Colombia the humidity is around 95% and i´m scared leave the insects exposed to the enviromental hight humidity for 1 week while they dry because the mold growth. 

Someone have a fast method for drying beetles? Hair dryer maybe?

Thank you. 

[kevinkk]

You might try a mold inhibitor, I can't think of the chemical I used to use, but it was unpleasant to be around, or perhaps a drying box with some

water absorbent material, like what is used in dehumidifiers, Dri-Z -Air comes to mind, but I don't know about availability in your country.

Many people use a mold inhibitor in their relaxing boxes, you might find a chemical that way.

I think you'd be spending a very long time with a hair dryer, although a small heater, or perhaps simply a fan could work.

Here on the coast, humidity is very high, but that's outdoors, I suppose it's more pervasive in the tropics.

[Adam Cotton]

Years ago the way to dry freshly collected specimens in the tropics was to hang an old style light bulb inside a large cardboard box with the insects in the bottom. I am not sure if modern light bulbs would work well as they give off relatively little heat.

In a permanent location you can use a drying cabinet with a 1kw heating element and thermostat set to 40C in the bottom. A drying cabinet is like a wooden clothes cupboard with shelves inside made of stiff wire netting. You put the insects on the shelves and the hot air dried them well even in high outside humidity.

Adam.

[leptraps]

When I lived in South Florida, I had a drying cabinet and I used PCD+ as both to pest proof and to control humidity as well. And you live in AC year round not just only to cool, but to keep your home dry as well.

[manuelfer001]

Ok, the drying cabinet is my favorite option, i will build one. But i dont underestand one thing. When the insect is still fresh i mount it in styrofoam and fix its parts with insects pins, right? After i put it in the dryer cabinet for dry faster and the insect and his appendages keep the position. My question is the styrofoam not melt with the heat into the cabinet? Or is there another way or material for fix the appendages that i dont know?

Thank you for your help.

[Paul K]

You could use balsa wood which is very soft to stick pins into but on the other hand the temperature shouldn't be high enough to melt styrofoam, if so you will cook the insect and it will loose its scientific value as it will be not possible to investigate genitalia for example.

Paul

[leptraps]

I was rather fortunate to have been Employed for over 10+ year by The Interior Steel Equipment Co.(ISEC) of Cleveland, Ohio. One if their product lines were Museum Collection Storage Cabinets. I have 14 ISEC 24 Cornell Drawer cabinets, Two 48 Cornell Drawer cabinets, and single 11 Cornell Drawer cabinet, two FL. DPI Wood 24 Cornell Drawer Cabinets. I also have two 24 Cornell Drawer Lane Scientific Cabinets and a single 24 Cornell Drawer BioQuip Side by side.

I am currently in need of another, possibly two, 24 Cornell Drawer Cabinets.

[Adam Cotton]

The 1kw heating element must be controlled by a thermostat set to about 40C so the specimens do not overheat.

Adam.

[manuelfer001]

Thank you for your help. I built today a wood cabinet, this week I will buy a thermostat. I need it soon because i have many insect for mount and send to an entomological collection. Thank you very much.

[Deleted]

I used to use a ightbulb drying rack. It worked for years using the older bulbs....several 25w bulbs. Now I use a forced air digital lab incubator. Mine is the 12-140AE from the Lab Depot. With multiple racks and my spreading boards resized to fit, I can dry 6-8 boards w a good many leps or coleops. It keeps mine heated to a constant temp of 115 degrees (it can be set to as high as 145 degrees) and dries out specimens in hours instead of days or weeks. One fellow lep man claims that when done, the constant heat for forty hours or so kills any unwelcome pests as well. I tend to agree as I’ve never seen any from my many many specimens dried using this method for several years now. It does cost a bit, but I called them and asked if there were any cost savings. I ended up getting mine for abt 20% off w free shipping a few years ago. I have to say that this was a great investment for me and the quality has been awesome....so far.

This is meant as a possible long term solution to your issue.


www.labdepotinc.com/p-60026-compact-forced-air-incubator

The 12-140AE is the size to get as the other sizes are too small imo.