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Post by wollastoni on Mar 19, 2021 4:22:46 GMT -8
Wife is gonna love this. Bugs in the fridge. She already tolerates so much. Chuck Well, technically, she just see a tupperware. Just put a nice butterfly picture on the lid, and I am sure she will be ok.
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leptraps
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Posts: 2,397
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Post by leptraps on Mar 20, 2021 16:33:47 GMT -8
My late wife Ms Betty solved the "Bugs-in the-Fridge" problem way back in 1970. She bought me a small Chest freezer for my bug room at Christmass. And, on my Birthday on May 22 a new refrigerator for my bug room.
Now that is true love.
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Post by jshuey on Mar 21, 2021 8:21:13 GMT -8
So, this is essentially how I have been mounting bugs for the last two decades - but with much more care than you see in the video. You can find my simple instructions on the other forum at collector-secret.proboards.com/thread/3371/skippers?page=2 - about halfway down the page. The only thing I would change in my instructions is - "then ring out the water as best as you can - you literally want them as dry as possible." You can have the paper towels too dry, slowing down the process. You need to saturate the air space to 100% humidity and maintain that saturation as the bugs take up the water. If you start using the technique - you will get a feel for it. Note that I use paper towels and zip-lock bags for a reason. Eventually you run the risk of mold contamination, and all my parts are disposable at regular intervals. The towels go into the trash after a couple of runs, and the zip-lock bag after a couple of weeks. And I totally disagree with the refrigeration part I read above. In the winter, my house drops to 62 oF at night. I will tell you that the results are better on larger bugs in the summer than in the winter. Bigger bugs will take two days unless the temperature stays up. Tossing a big skipper in the fridge would slow the process down by several days... I am also wary of leaving the bugs in an envelope if they have written data on the envelope and if there is any chance ink could run and stain the bugs. John
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Post by bandrow on Mar 21, 2021 14:28:54 GMT -8
I am also wary of leaving the bugs in an envelope if they have written data on the envelope and if there is any chance ink could run and stain the bugs. John Not to mention having the ink run and lose the data!! Cheers! Bandrow
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Post by 58chevy on Mar 21, 2021 16:13:04 GMT -8
Wollastoni, I have also been using that technique for many years, but I don't put them in the refrigerator. What advantage is that?
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Post by exoticimports on Mar 21, 2021 17:18:30 GMT -8
Ok. Several large papilio and a Eacles In the fridge. I’ll report back.
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Post by wollastoni on Mar 22, 2021 2:31:21 GMT -8
Ok. Several large papilio and a Eacles In the fridge. I’ll report back. As these are large species, be sure to have the cloth wet enough and to let them 24 hours. Should work perfectly.
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Post by wollastoni on Mar 22, 2021 2:32:33 GMT -8
Wollastoni, I have also been using that technique for many years, but I don't put them in the refrigerator. What advantage is that? Claude wrote above : "The cold air needs less amount of water to reach 100% humidity. Hot air can hold more water and will need a lot more evaporation to reach 100%." It seems to speed up the process from 3 days to 1.
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Post by wollastoni on Mar 22, 2021 2:36:45 GMT -8
Not to mention having the ink run and lose the data!! Good point, I use enveloppe without data on it. I wrote data on the enveloppe "flap" and I cut it before putting the enveloppe in the relaxing tupperware.
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Post by bobw on Mar 22, 2021 4:26:24 GMT -8
I tried it with a single Colias specimen, so not a particularly strong thorax. After 24 hours, the wings move, but certainly not enough to be set yet, and the thorax would have to be crushed to get enough movement.
I've decided to leave it out of the fridge for a further period as to me, the fridge thing sounds counter-intuitive, as John said above, I'd have thought that warmth would generate more humidity.
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Post by Paul K on Mar 22, 2021 4:28:28 GMT -8
Wollastoni, I have also been using that technique for many years, but I don't put them in the refrigerator. What advantage is that? Claude wrote above : "The cold air needs less amount of water to reach 100% humidity. Hot air can hold more water and will need a lot more evaporation to reach 100%." It seems to speed up the process from 3 days to 1. Keeping sealed box in the fridge at 4°C will slow down process close to four times than in the room around 24°C. The box is sealed so once the maximum humidity is reached it stay at that level, warmer air can hold more water so the specimen is saturating faster than in cold. Only at the very beginning more water is needed to reach maximum volume of humidity in the box.
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Post by exoticimports on Mar 22, 2021 4:39:17 GMT -8
Well it’s been 14 hours in the fridge. I checked a papilio glaucus and it’s still stiff as it was in the paper. Waiting for the magic to happen.
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Post by wollastoni on Mar 22, 2021 5:42:35 GMT -8
I tried it with a single Colias specimen, so not a particularly strong thorax. After 24 hours, the wings move, but certainly not enough to be set yet, and the thorax would have to be crushed to get enough movement. I've decided to leave it out of the fridge for a further period as to me, the fridge thing sounds counter-intuitive, as John said above, I'd have thought that warmth would generate more humidity. I guess you didn't spray enough water on the cloth. Look at the video to see the amount of water needed. I see no reason why it would work on my Delias and not on a Colias. It happens to me once when I tried to find the right level of water. Just add some water and close the jar again. About the fridge/no fridge, I will try without and see if it is useful or not too. As I got perfect results with the fridge, I thought it would be useful, but maybe it works as well without the fridge.
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Post by bobw on Mar 22, 2021 6:31:27 GMT -8
Another couple of hours (not in the fridge) does seem to have made a difference, and it is probably just about possible to set it now, but it's still a little stiff, certainly nothing like a freshly killed specimen.
Maybe I'll try it with a Catocala next as that should take quite a bit longer. Do you think it would be safe to put a mould inhibitor in the box as well?
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Post by wollastoni on Mar 22, 2021 6:37:08 GMT -8
I guess with a bit more water, you would have obtained perfect results. It takes few trials to find the right amount of water to spray on the cloth.
I would put more water for your Catocala. And try in 24 hours. Mould won't have time to come in only 24 hours (especially in the fridge).
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