Anyone know about how to preserve a dead insect?

Question

I found a dead bumble bee in my garden yesterday and want to somehow preserve it in a small bottle or something but don't know how to do it properly.Someone told me to put white vinegar in with it but I don't know if thats right?Or is it better to preserve it dry???

Answer 1

Formalin or pure ethanol are the best and most popular preserving agents used, particularly for taxonomic and genetic studies as minimal tissue damage occurs. A strong ethanol or methanol is what you should look for. Do not freeze it, as every freeze/thaw cycle will cause more and more damage to the specimin.

Answer 2

freeze it

Answer 3

Put in the freezer untill you get an air tight container. It will not decay in that. simple! Or you could get liquid resin.

Answer 4

I would preserve it dry. The main problem is keeping the sun off it and any insects (such as lice) which can damage it.

If you contact your local museum they can give you better advice.

As it is a bee I would not try to preserve it in liquid, but ethanol is generally used, usually at 70%.

Some chemicals can cause insects to disolve or break up. Acetone is one such chemical, and is I believe only used to kill or anesthetise insects.  Formalin has carcinogenic properties.  

Can't say about vinegar, but it can disolve calcium, and may have a deleterious effect on your bee.

Answer 5

Inject it with acetone(nail varnish remover) .This applies to insects dead or alive.The actone will kill it anyway, and ,will dry it inside but still keep the appearance it had when it was alive.

Answer 6

White vinegar or alchohol usually takes the colour out of such specimens..

What i do is place the specimen in the freezer for a while, while i get some liquid resin ready (available many places in UK).

I'll then take the specimen out when i'm ready and allow it to thaw..This usually makes the specimen a bit soft allowing you to pose it before you pour the resin in.

Most casting resins give of heat as they are curing so a large specimen would receive many layers of resin (allowing each one to harden) before it is finished. Also specimens with a lot of soft tissue matter can burst if to much resin is added in one go.

Once you've got it right you can preserve most things in a clear totally opaque resin which'll see them looking good for many many years.

Answer 7

erm put it amber. or use candle wax :)

Answer 8

ewwwwwwww y?