Thank you so much for sharing this. I just moved and have discovered mold in my butterfly collection. I was so distraught and thought they were ruined. I'm glad I searched for a way to clean them and found your vid. I will have to give your method a go!
I know I said this on one of your other videos but I absolutely love that you dont fast forward through the process. I also real like how informative this one is! I'll definitely use it if I ever have a mold problem with my collection!
The way you've arranged the sphingidae is brilliant. I'd been storing mine in a zigzag pattern as an attempt to maximize drawer space but this method seems like the way to go
This is so helpful! I just bought a peanut head lantern fly and it got to me all moldy! The company wouldn't take it back and I didn't want to throw it away so I'll have to do this!
Thank you so much for this video! In my current living situation there is a big issue with mold, and I was very distraught upon taking a look at my insect collection and finding a few of them more fuzzy than I'd like. Hopefully this knowledge with spare me some heartbreak, so as a novice at bug pinning I truly appreciate the advice!
Hi insect safari I recently started watching entomology and insect preservation videos when I stumbled upon your videos! I love your thorough explanations and they will really help me when I start my collection !!!
I had a farm of Hawk moths. Raised about 4 generations before i needed a break from the heartbreak of them leaving me. I have them in my freezer, trying to get all the equipment I need to pin them for myself. If I could I would just pay you to do it for me because you seem way more educated, gentle, and knowledgeable around and about this process. The last thing I would do and never do is throw them away. Your videos are truly a blessing!❤️ If it’s possible, could you give me any advice that I should know going into this experience?
I encourage people to try to learn for themselves because it is rewarding to develop the skills. Being unemployed because of the pandemic, I would consider pinning them for you. I'm in Seattle WA. Are you in the USA?
Thank you so much for making this video. I recently checked on a monarch butterfly my boyfriend found and gave to me and saw that it had some mold on it and I was devastated. So glad I researched before I threw it out!
I hope it cleans up well for you. I have many specimens that have sentimental value for me, gifts from special people in my life or found at some important event.
im actually recieving some pins in the mail to pin some of the ants i found, i want to make boxes of native ants to my area with specimens i found myself, really good job
The irony of keeping moth balls in a drawer of moths xD Thanks for the tips! I had no idea you could do this. I’m learning recently that acetone has a lot of good uses!
Acetone will not re-hydrate the insect's muscles. It drives out any water in the tissues so the wings won't shift the position they were in when dried.
I just started a collection with my 5 year old and our bugs grew mold. This was very educational, thank you for making this video. How can I prevent molding in the future?
Just keep the specimens in a tightly sealed box and keep them dry. Humidity will cause the mold to grow. There are special boxes made to hold insect specimens with a glass top so you can see them without opening the box. You also have to watch for insect damage. Little dermestid beetles can eat up a collection. If you see any dust or larvae put the box in a freezer for a few days to kill them. I started collecting when I was five!
Thank you sooooo much you saved my collection! I might do my masters on Entomology so I know that I'll use this trick a lot specially cause I live the tropics.
I’m glad I found this! I just found a cicada inside my apartment and after putting it in a jar it got fuzz after a few days.it’s crazy hot and humid here right now. Hopefully the little guy didn’t eat something to cause the growth, but I’m gonna try this trick out. Nothing to lose right?
Insects preserve really well if kept dry. They need to dry quickly before the internal muscles start to decay. They can get moldy fairly quickly if it's humid. I've seen specimens in research collections from the 1700's that still are intact and look just fine! I'm sure the cicada will be OK. The acetone will kill the mold and they have a thick exoskeleton and tough wings that will hold up well. The acetone can make to wings a little harder to relax if you're going to pin it but it will still work. If any mold shows up again you can stick it back in the acetone.
I only have ONE dry specimen of a really weird looking bug I’ve never seen and saw it had mold on the abdomen and panicked because I thought bug carcasses lasted forever. Thankfully due to your video it will! I will let you know how it goes!
I have a piece of "Art" that includes a scorpion that is going mouldy in this way. I am not sure I can dip the piece but might try gentle brushing. Was thinking of using isopropyl alcohol rather than acetone. Any thoughts on that? In any case thanks for the video ... regards from England
If it's one of the large scorpions, they are fairly sturdy so I would use acetone and a stiffer brush to remove the mold. I think acetone is more potent at killing the mold but I have no real evidence other than personal experience. If it's a smaller more delicate scorpion use a softer brush. Keep the piece as dry as possible and watch for new mold growth.
I'm so happy to find your video. I recently discovered some of my collection has molded and was heartbroken thinking they may be garbage. I do have some acetone, but I wanted to ask if using isopropyl alcohol also work for cleaning the mold?
It would be better than nothing but what I'm trying to do with acetone is to kill the mold and spores. If i were to use alcohol I would choose denatured alcohol because it doesn't have water in it like isopropyl alcohol does.
Super curious! If I use this to take mold off some specimens before pinning, do I let them dry for a certain amount of a time, than do my usual rehydration process after?
thank you so much for this! does it have to be 100% acetone? i was thinking of using a nail polish remover since a bottle is about $1, and it claimed to be 100% acetone but it had both acetone and denatonium benzoate listed in the ingredients. I think the latter is just a bitter solution to prevent people from drinking it, but I’m not sure how that would affect the specimens.
I have a hercules beetle that I found and popped into a jar without doing anything to it and it started to mold, I know that wasn't the way to "preserve" them. Would this work on beetles, and how would i prevent further molding?
I assume that you're in the USA and that you're talking about one of the two large Dynastes species we have here. Beetles are particularly sturdy and a little mold won't hurt them. If the specimen has been left in a moist environment for a longer period the muscles inside can start to decay and then when it's dried it will be more fragile. I would place the beetle into a jar of alcohol and let it soak for a few days. This will dissolve any grease from fats and kill the mold. Then pin and dry it aand it should be fine.
I am just getting into pinning. I know mistakes are going to be made until Im much better at it. Im trying to learn all i can. Ive pinned exactly 2. I FOR SURE live in a humid area so Im glad i found this video! Do you use anything to curb the moisture in your collection?
I have used ethanol to clean hard shelled insects like beetles but I have not used it on Lepidoptera. It might work to some extent but acetone is such a superior solvent for de-greasing that I haven't tried anything else. If you do try ethanol I would recommend denatured alcohol and not isopropyl which is diluted with water.
Thank you. I have several un-mounted beetles that have suffered mould inside the packets. Does the acetone change the colours of the beetles once dry? How do you dry them quickly also?
Omg thank you. I own a reddish brown stag beetle and i noticed today that it has white mold on it and i started to panic. Its my first stag and i really didnt want to get rid of it so thank you so much for the solution. I do have a question though. I kept mine in a jar, after i clean it and its dry and the jar is clean and dry, should i put it back in the jar or try a different storage approach?
I would find some kind of display case like a clear plastic box and keep it in there. This will help keep it dry and protect it from dust. You could also mount it on an insect pin and start a small collection. I also recommend keeping a data label with it recording the date and location where it was found.
i have a question. i have collected a suspected fungusy cicada specimen; will this technique work to kill off the remainder of the fungus? and if not, what can i do? thanks in advance
I am very grateful to have found you. I had a problem with the mold on my wasp specimen. After the mold in specimen has been removed using acetone, does it need to be dried in the sun? or just at room temperature
The acetone will evaporate very quickly if the moldy specimen was mounted and dry to start with. Fresh, hydrated specimens will dry at room temperature after mounting as usual.
@@insectsafari Thank you so much, I hope you don't mind answering again, I want to ask I got some ordo hymenoptera yesterday I'm afraid my preservation is not perfect for that ordo, and what steps need to be taken to make them perfect, inject it with acetone then dry it in the sun or in the oven or whatever. I hope you don't mind teaching me thank you
@@ardhonmr4678 I'm sorry, I don't understand your question. What is "ordo"? How is the preservation not perfect? Why are you concerned about the drying? I need more details to know what you are asking.
@@insectsafari sorry, ordo is taxonomic ranking among classes and families. What this means is that when we get a specimen that has just been caught a bee or wasp hymenoptera, what steps need to be taken so that the specimen is perfectly preserved, whether it is soaked in acetone or dried in the sun or what else, I'm really confused.
Thank you for this! I just found a ton of dead dragonflies and wasps and hornets and such at work but a bunch of them were moldy. Looking forward to learning how to pin them once they’re clean!
I've got an argema mittrei and finally dared to try to pin it. Put it in the hydrating chamber with some mothballs but now after 5 days it has mold 🥺 how can I remove it from the hydrated moth? I'd be so sad if I couldn't save it anymore cause they are extremely hard to find in The Netherlands :(
I'm sorry to hear it. I know how stressful it is to have a valuable specimen compromised. Is the mold on the body only? I think I would use a small paintbrush and gently brush the mold away as best as I could, The moths are hard because the hairs can come off easily. Is the specimen relaxed enough to pin? If so, I would pin it and let it dry, then go back after whatever mold is left. You could gently apply acetone with a small brush to kill what mold is left. This will matt the hairs but they can be gently fluffed once they are dried. In the future, you might try injecting water into the thorax with a syringe to relax a moth quickly. They are less likely to get moldy if they aren't in a humid box for days. Let me know how it comes out.
@@insectsafari thank you for your quick reply! Unfortunately I tried and it didn't work too well because of the hairs like you said. Then I spread the wings open and the mold was in-between those too :( I gave up. Cut off the wings maybe I can make some art with it 😅. They will come back in stock in September so I guess I'll have to wait. I did find 1 website in a neighboring country but they want 40 euros for it so I'll wait for September. Thank you so much for the information!
It would be OK for other insects but I wouldn't use it on Lepidoptera. Denatured alcohol is better because there isn't any water in it. Acetone is really the best. You can get it at hardware stores.
I left a dragonfly, cicada, wasp, and bee in a box with we papertowels to relax them since I just got a pinning kit for Christmas, I accidentally left them for too many days and now they're all moldy, do you think this process would be ok for before I pin them?
Yes, dip them in acetone and wipe with a stiff paintbrush or cotton swab. If soaked in acetone for more than a few min. the legs can become a little stiff. The dragonflies are somewhat fragile so be gentle with them. Acetone can also help preserve some of the color in the bodies of dragonflies.
@@insectsafari thank you so much! I almost broke down in tears because I thought they were ruined and I've had some of my specimens for years just waiting to pin them, this gives me so much more hope!
@@savannahzak5739 They'll be fine. If a specimen gets too decomposed they can fall apart because the muscles won't hold it together. Even then I have reconstructed them with glue. These things are a hassle but good practice for your curating skills.
Thank you so much for the video! I was gifted an atlas moth and it smells terrible (does not appear to be moldy though) do you think this technique will work to remove the odor ?
@@insectsafari yes! i have discoloration problems with mantises specimens I take all the guts out,clean it,stuf it but the front legs and head with thorax turns black what should I do? and is there a replacement for acetone but same effects?
@@mahdi2051 Alcohol will help, the stronger the better. You could use vodka if nothing else was available. Isopropyl alcohol is usually 70% alcohol and denatured alcohol is stronger and sometimes has additives including acetone. The specimen can be soaked in it for a few hours to a couple of days. You'll have to experiment to see what works best. It will probably bleach out the color somewhat but you'll still have a better result that if you did nothing. Let me know how it works for you.
@@insectsafari I use bleu colored alcohole wich helps a little, I soak them in it which make the specimens bleach! I will try and find something stronger maybe and helpfully acetone! I will inform you about the results in your next video =) Thank's a lot for your time!
Acetone only affects the color if it is part of the tissues and not the exoskeleton. Acetone will bleach the green from a grasshopper but won't damage the color of a butterfly wing or a beetle's elytra.
Thank you for the suggestions. I use Vapona as a fumigant. Mothballs are too strong smelling for my purposes. I use parts of this collection for teaching in schools. I normally store it in a humidity controlled space so it hasn't been an issue for me. I had moved and the collection got exposed to higher humidity for relatively short period of time. That issue is now resolved. Silica gel does work well for drying specimens. I've used it for drying crustaceans.
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 84 วันนี้!! คู่เอก "ก้องศึก vs เมืองไทย"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3kuzsAIDf1c/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you so much for sharing this. I just moved and have discovered mold in my butterfly collection. I was so distraught and thought they were ruined. I'm glad I searched for a way to clean them and found your vid. I will have to give your method a go!
Let me know how it works for you.
I know I said this on one of your other videos but I absolutely love that you dont fast forward through the process. I also real like how informative this one is! I'll definitely use it if I ever have a mold problem with my collection!
So glad you've uploaded again! 😊💜
Me too
The way you've arranged the sphingidae is brilliant. I'd been storing mine in a zigzag pattern as an attempt to maximize drawer space but this method seems like the way to go
I think I've used your zig-zag method. It works pretty well too.
This is so helpful! I just bought a peanut head lantern fly and it got to me all moldy! The company wouldn't take it back and I didn't want to throw it away so I'll have to do this!
Thank you so much for this video! In my current living situation there is a big issue with mold, and I was very distraught upon taking a look at my insect collection and finding a few of them more fuzzy than I'd like. Hopefully this knowledge with spare me some heartbreak, so as a novice at bug pinning I truly appreciate the advice!
I'm happy that it helps you.
Hi insect safari I recently started watching entomology and insect preservation videos when I stumbled upon your videos! I love your thorough explanations and they will really help me when I start my collection !!!
I had a farm of Hawk moths. Raised about 4 generations before i needed a break from the heartbreak of them leaving me. I have them in my freezer, trying to get all the equipment I need to pin them for myself.
If I could I would just pay you to do it for me because you seem way more educated, gentle, and knowledgeable around and about this process. The last thing I would do and never do is throw them away. Your videos are truly a blessing!❤️
If it’s possible, could you give me any advice that I should know going into this experience?
I encourage people to try to learn for themselves because it is rewarding to develop the skills. Being unemployed because of the pandemic, I would consider pinning them for you. I'm in Seattle WA. Are you in the USA?
Thank you so much for making this video. I recently checked on a monarch butterfly my boyfriend found and gave to me and saw that it had some mold on it and I was devastated. So glad I researched before I threw it out!
I hope it cleans up well for you. I have many specimens that have sentimental value for me, gifts from special people in my life or found at some important event.
im actually recieving some pins in the mail to pin some of the ants i found, i want to make boxes of native ants to my area with specimens i found myself, really good job
The irony of keeping moth balls in a drawer of moths xD
Thanks for the tips! I had no idea you could do this. I’m learning recently that acetone has a lot of good uses!
Acetone is indeed very useful. The results of it's use in de-greasing stained specimens is amazing.
Why does acetone not relax the wings of the moths? I've never had to work with acetone on my specimens before, so this is new to me.
Acetone will not re-hydrate the insect's muscles. It drives out any water in the tissues so the wings won't shift the position they were in when dried.
I just started a collection with my 5 year old and our bugs grew mold. This was very educational, thank you for making this video.
How can I prevent molding in the future?
Just keep the specimens in a tightly sealed box and keep them dry. Humidity will cause the mold to grow. There are special boxes made to hold insect specimens with a glass top so you can see them without opening the box. You also have to watch for insect damage. Little dermestid beetles can eat up a collection. If you see any dust or larvae put the box in a freezer for a few days to kill them.
I started collecting when I was five!
Thank you sooooo much you saved my collection! I might do my masters on Entomology so I know that I'll use this trick a lot specially cause I live the tropics.
I’m glad I found this! I just found a cicada inside my apartment and after putting it in a jar it got fuzz after a few days.it’s crazy hot and humid here right now. Hopefully the little guy didn’t eat something to cause the growth, but I’m gonna try this trick out. Nothing to lose right?
Insects preserve really well if kept dry. They need to dry quickly before the internal muscles start to decay. They can get moldy fairly quickly if it's humid.
I've seen specimens in research collections from the 1700's that still are intact and look just fine!
I'm sure the cicada will be OK. The acetone will kill the mold and they have a thick exoskeleton and tough wings that will hold up well.
The acetone can make to wings a little harder to relax if you're going to pin it but it will still work. If any mold shows up again you can stick it back in the acetone.
Your videos really brightens up my day! :>
I only have ONE dry specimen of a really weird looking bug I’ve never seen and saw it had mold on the abdomen and panicked because I thought bug carcasses lasted forever.
Thankfully due to your video it will! I will let you know how it goes!
Send me a photo and a location and maybe I can identify it for you. donehlen@theinsectsafari.com
Any updates? How's it holding up?
I have a piece of "Art" that includes a scorpion that is going mouldy in this way. I am not sure I can dip the piece but might try gentle brushing. Was thinking of using isopropyl alcohol rather than acetone. Any thoughts on that? In any case thanks for the video ... regards from England
If it's one of the large scorpions, they are fairly sturdy so I would use acetone and a stiffer brush to remove the mold. I think acetone is more potent at killing the mold but I have no real evidence other than personal experience. If it's a smaller more delicate scorpion use a softer brush. Keep the piece as dry as possible and watch for new mold growth.
Thank you so much for your advice
I'm so happy to find your video. I recently discovered some of my collection has molded and was heartbroken thinking they may be garbage. I do have some acetone, but I wanted to ask if using isopropyl alcohol also work for cleaning the mold?
It would be better than nothing but what I'm trying to do with acetone is to kill the mold and spores. If i were to use alcohol I would choose denatured alcohol because it doesn't have water in it like isopropyl alcohol does.
@@insectsafari ahh I understand, I didn't even think about the dilution! Thanks so much for the response, I appreciate it
@@ginaaicken6059 You're welcome. I hope your salvage is successful.
Super curious! If I use this to take mold off some specimens before pinning, do I let them dry for a certain amount of a time, than do my usual rehydration process after?
thank you so much for this! does it have to be 100% acetone? i was thinking of using a nail polish remover since a bottle is about $1, and it claimed to be 100% acetone but it had both acetone and denatonium benzoate listed in the ingredients. I think the latter is just a bitter solution to prevent people from drinking it, but I’m not sure how that would affect the specimens.
I don't have any experience using nail polish remover but I think it's worth an experiment.
I have a hercules beetle that I found and popped into a jar without doing anything to it and it started to mold, I know that wasn't the way to "preserve" them. Would this work on beetles, and how would i prevent further molding?
I assume that you're in the USA and that you're talking about one of the two large Dynastes species we have here. Beetles are particularly sturdy and a little mold won't hurt them.
If the specimen has been left in a moist environment for a longer period the muscles inside can start to decay and then when it's dried it will be more fragile.
I would place the beetle into a jar of alcohol and let it soak for a few days. This will dissolve any grease from fats and kill the mold. Then pin and dry it aand it should be fine.
I am just getting into pinning. I know mistakes are going to be made until Im much better at it. Im trying to learn all i can. Ive pinned exactly 2. I FOR SURE live in a humid area so Im glad i found this video! Do you use anything to curb the moisture in your collection?
You can use dessicants like silica gel to reduce moisture in collections. I don't use it because I can keep mine dry enough without it.
Thank you so much for your help🦋. This vidoe is a saviour🦋.
I'm praying you will see this to answer. acetone , is nailpolish remover okay? or it has to he 199% only acetone?
Hi! Can ethanol alcohol be another option if you dont have acetone?
I have used ethanol to clean hard shelled insects like beetles but I have not used it on Lepidoptera. It might work to some extent but acetone is such a superior solvent for de-greasing that I haven't tried anything else. If you do try ethanol I would recommend denatured alcohol and not isopropyl which is diluted with water.
Thank you. I have several un-mounted beetles that have suffered mould inside the packets. Does the acetone change the colours of the beetles once dry? How do you dry them quickly also?
Acetone should not change the color of beetles or any lepidoptera. It will fade orthopterans.
Omg thank you. I own a reddish brown stag beetle and i noticed today that it has white mold on it and i started to panic. Its my first stag and i really didnt want to get rid of it so thank you so much for the solution. I do have a question though. I kept mine in a jar, after i clean it and its dry and the jar is clean and dry, should i put it back in the jar or try a different storage approach?
I would find some kind of display case like a clear plastic box and keep it in there. This will help keep it dry and protect it from dust. You could also mount it on an insect pin and start a small collection. I also recommend keeping a data label with it recording the date and location where it was found.
i have a question. i have collected a suspected fungusy cicada specimen; will this technique work to kill off the remainder of the fungus? and if not, what can i do? thanks in advance
I am very grateful to have found you. I had a problem with the mold on my wasp specimen. After the mold in specimen has been removed using acetone, does it need to be dried in the sun? or just at room temperature
The acetone will evaporate very quickly if the moldy specimen was mounted and dry to start with. Fresh, hydrated specimens will dry at room temperature after mounting as usual.
@@insectsafari Thank you so much, I hope you don't mind answering again, I want to ask I got some ordo hymenoptera yesterday I'm afraid my preservation is not perfect for that ordo, and what steps need to be taken to make them perfect, inject it with acetone then dry it in the sun or in the oven or whatever. I hope you don't mind teaching me thank you
@@ardhonmr4678 I'm sorry, I don't understand your question. What is "ordo"? How is the preservation not perfect? Why are you concerned about the drying? I need more details to know what you are asking.
@@insectsafari sorry, ordo is taxonomic ranking among classes and families. What this means is that when we get a specimen that has just been caught a bee or wasp hymenoptera, what steps need to be taken so that the specimen is perfectly preserved, whether it is soaked in acetone or dried in the sun or what else, I'm really confused.
I was concerned because once the specimen I made changed color and seemed to be falling apart, what's wrong. I need your help please, any steps
Thank you for this! I just found a ton of dead dragonflies and wasps and hornets and such at work but a bunch of them were moldy. Looking forward to learning how to pin them once they’re clean!
I have some pinning videos that you may find helpful.
I've got an argema mittrei and finally dared to try to pin it. Put it in the hydrating chamber with some mothballs but now after 5 days it has mold 🥺 how can I remove it from the hydrated moth? I'd be so sad if I couldn't save it anymore cause they are extremely hard to find in The Netherlands :(
I'm sorry to hear it. I know how stressful it is to have a valuable specimen compromised. Is the mold on the body only? I think I would use a small paintbrush and gently brush the mold away as best as I could,
The moths are hard because the hairs can come off easily.
Is the specimen relaxed enough to pin? If so, I would pin it and let it dry, then go back after whatever mold is left. You could gently apply acetone with a small brush to kill what mold is left. This will matt the hairs but they can be gently fluffed once they are dried.
In the future, you might try injecting water into the thorax with a syringe to relax a moth quickly. They are less likely to get moldy if they aren't in a humid box for days. Let me know how it comes out.
@@insectsafari thank you for your quick reply! Unfortunately I tried and it didn't work too well because of the hairs like you said. Then I spread the wings open and the mold was in-between those too :( I gave up. Cut off the wings maybe I can make some art with it 😅. They will come back in stock in September so I guess I'll have to wait. I did find 1 website in a neighboring country but they want 40 euros for it so I'll wait for September. Thank you so much for the information!
Can I use some else other than acetone? Like rubbing alcohol?
It would be OK for other insects but I wouldn't use it on Lepidoptera. Denatured alcohol is better because there isn't any water in it. Acetone is really the best. You can get it at hardware stores.
I left a dragonfly, cicada, wasp, and bee in a box with we papertowels to relax them since I just got a pinning kit for Christmas, I accidentally left them for too many days and now they're all moldy, do you think this process would be ok for before I pin them?
Yes, dip them in acetone and wipe with a stiff paintbrush or cotton swab. If soaked in acetone for more than a few min. the legs can become a little stiff. The dragonflies are somewhat fragile so be gentle with them. Acetone can also help preserve some of the color in the bodies of dragonflies.
@@insectsafari thank you so much! I almost broke down in tears because I thought they were ruined and I've had some of my specimens for years just waiting to pin them, this gives me so much more hope!
@@savannahzak5739 They'll be fine. If a specimen gets too decomposed they can fall apart because the muscles won't hold it together. Even then I have reconstructed them with glue. These things are a hassle but good practice for your curating skills.
Thank you so much for the video! I was gifted an atlas moth and it smells terrible (does not appear to be moldy though) do you think this technique will work to remove the odor ?
I think it will help, no harm in trying. The acetone will matt the hairs on the body. See the videos on the Comet Moth preparation to address this.
acetone is also flammable
Yes, that is important to remember. I mention it at 0.58.
i was rehydrating one of my tiger moths and its whole abdomen got covered in mold lmao
is it safe to do this with a luna moth?
Yes, but a luna is more fragile so you need to be very gentle.
@@insectsafari thank you so much !
Sir; do you have any other media platform? like Facebook, Instagram! I am an Entomology hobiest and I'd like some advices plz =)
I can give you advice here, it may help someone else who has the same question.
@@insectsafari yes! i have discoloration problems with mantises specimens I take all the guts out,clean it,stuf it but the front legs and head with thorax turns black what should I do? and is there a replacement for acetone but same effects?
@@mahdi2051 Alcohol will help, the stronger the better. You could use vodka if nothing else was available. Isopropyl alcohol is usually 70% alcohol and denatured alcohol is stronger and sometimes has additives including acetone. The specimen can be soaked in it for a few hours to a couple of days. You'll have to experiment to see what works best. It will probably bleach out the color somewhat but you'll still have a better result that if you did nothing. Let me know how it works for you.
@@insectsafari I use bleu colored alcohole wich helps a little, I soak them in it which make the specimens bleach! I will try and find something stronger maybe and helpfully acetone! I will inform you about the results in your next video =) Thank's a lot for your time!
Wont acetone discolor it
Acetone only affects the color if it is part of the tissues and not the exoskeleton. Acetone will bleach the green from a grasshopper but won't damage the color of a butterfly wing or a beetle's elytra.
Store your specimens with moth balls and silica gel. Will stop mould even in humid conditions
Thank you for the suggestions. I use Vapona as a fumigant. Mothballs are too strong smelling for my purposes. I use parts of this collection for teaching in schools.
I normally store it in a humidity controlled space so it hasn't been an issue for me. I had moved and the collection got exposed to higher humidity for relatively short period of time. That issue is now resolved.
Silica gel does work well for drying specimens. I've used it for drying crustaceans.