If you're on this website thinking what can you give to your weird loved one, first think to yourself: Do I really want to have blood on my hands ? If so, welcome. Or if you're a student wondering how to collect bugs for a biology class, or a person interested in bugs in general, then welcome. Here in this website you're going to learn how to pin a bug, collect/hang them, and show them off.
Why Collect Them ? What's So Fun Suffocating Bugs ?
I have been a big fan of collecting bugs ever since I was 10 years old. The reason why I got hooked up is because me and my two cousins got close. When my older and younger cousin came over to visit me, we would go out in my backyard and find insects. We would look under rocks to see what kind of insects we can find and collect. Many kids at 10 years old would be interested in staying indoors watching TV or being on the internet, except for me I would like to be outside and find bugs. Bugs fascinate me because of their size, beauty and purpose. I hope we share that same feeling.
The process of preserving bugs can be sinister, but the outcome is beautiful.
The process of preserving bugs can be sinister, but the outcome is beautiful.
How to Kill a Insect
To kill an Insect, one needs a killing jar, which is a empty jar with a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover. Insect larvae, soft-bodied (butterflies and moths), and tiny specimens are to be placed in liquids, such as Isopropyl alcohol (70%+). Let it drown or suffocate for 24 hours and you'll be ready to start pinning.
Relaxing Chamber
Before getting excited to pin your insect, you need to first relax your specimen. While fresh out of the jar, there is a big chance it's relaxed and thus easy to spread. If the bug is dry and brittle, you need to put it in a relaxing chamber. A relaxing chamber is a container that is very humid inside. A relaxing chamber contains the following:
- A plastic (shoe box sized) container with a lid
- A wet sponge located at the bottom of the container
- When relaxing a butterfly, add a wire mesh on top of the sponge and on top of the wire mesh place a paper towel (if the butterfly's wing comes in contact with water, it can get discolor)
- One "moth ball" inside the container to keep fungi and mold from growing
- A wet paper towel placed on top of the lid of the container
Pinning
To start pinning, one needs insect pins. Do not use any other pins except insect pins, because they can ruse and ruin valuable specimens. There are different size of insect pins, but sizes No. 2 and No. 3 are mostly common.
To start pinning, place the insect in a Styrofoam and place the pin through the body, firmly and carefully. Care no to place the whole pin through the insect, but half way and check if the pin and the bug is in a 90 degree angle. If positioned in a weird angle, be careful to not make the hole big or create too many holes. Some bugs can't be pin in their bodies because it can damage a leg or the other side of the body. Here is a photo below to use as a guide to see where to insert a pin in various types of insects.
To start pinning, place the insect in a Styrofoam and place the pin through the body, firmly and carefully. Care no to place the whole pin through the insect, but half way and check if the pin and the bug is in a 90 degree angle. If positioned in a weird angle, be careful to not make the hole big or create too many holes. Some bugs can't be pin in their bodies because it can damage a leg or the other side of the body. Here is a photo below to use as a guide to see where to insert a pin in various types of insects.