Quick question: once the specimen has been air dried, why wouldn't the remaining body be "eaten" by micro-organisms or other insects? Maybe it would, so that an air tight container/display case would be necessary to preserve the specimen? Is the "moisture" level the main issue in the preservation? Thanks!
when re hydrating the insect make sure you use moth balls or other insecticides to kill any mites or other microorganisms on the dead insect. then make sure you dry the insect after pinning for about a week or two. then store in air tight container :)
Great tutorial. I'm making a gallery wall and will add a recently found dead cicada. I have never pinned an insect but this tutorial was so helpful! Thank you
Thank you for great instructions. Do you have any advice for keeping wings flat when I put them in a riker mount? The pressure of the glass pushes the body down and causes wings to bend.
Thanks, did this to a brood X cicada since I won’t see them for another 17 years, as well as the fact I had to drive 2 and a half hours to see it since they skipped the area where I’m from
Excellent video, especially with the current brood x emergence. Do you have suggestions for removal of wings and preservation/strengthening techniques to enable the wings to be used in art projects?
apologies fo late reply. I've never delved much into the aesthetic side of insect collections. But from what i've heard and seen others do, they usually laminate the wings with the usual transparent lamination sheets, or do a epoxy resin mount and then make cool pendants and such.
Hi! Is it possible to pin an insect even though it has already dried? I found a dead cicada outside, in a pretty good condition but with the Italian summer burning anything that touches the ground I think its wings would break if I tried to open them...
Do these decompose? I found a couple of dead ones on the ground and only had them in a container for a couple of hours before opening and they smelled like they were rotting. Is any prep needed or will it all just dry out eventually? Thanks!
Pinned insects are exposed to dry warm air for a week or so. This will dessicate the innards and remain so without decomposing. Putting it inside a sealed container will rot anything.
Depends on the prevailing climate in ur area. Higher the humidity (especially) the longer it takes to dry. But typically, for cicadas, it can take anywhere from a week to 2/3 weeks.
Quick question: once the specimen has been air dried, why wouldn't the remaining body be "eaten" by micro-organisms or other insects? Maybe it would, so that an air tight container/display case would be necessary to preserve the specimen? Is the "moisture" level the main issue in the preservation? Thanks!
Moisture is definitely the enemy
when re hydrating the insect make sure you use moth balls or other insecticides to kill any mites or other microorganisms on the dead insect. then make sure you dry the insect after pinning for about a week or two. then store in air tight container :)
@@maggieschram6709 giyu san!
Very good Video. Excellent work!
Thank you very much
Great tutorial. I'm making a gallery wall and will add a recently found dead cicada. I have never pinned an insect but this tutorial was so helpful! Thank you
Thank you, very helpful and informative! Happy pinning ❤
Thank you for great instructions. Do you have any advice for keeping wings flat when I put them in a riker mount? The pressure of the glass pushes the body down and causes wings to bend.
Thanks, did this to a brood X cicada since I won’t see them for another 17 years, as well as the fact I had to drive 2 and a half hours to see it since they skipped the area where I’m from
Excellent video, especially with the current brood x emergence. Do you have suggestions for removal of wings and preservation/strengthening techniques to enable the wings to be used in art projects?
apologies fo late reply. I've never delved much into the aesthetic side of insect collections. But from what i've heard and seen others do, they usually laminate the wings with the usual transparent lamination sheets, or do a epoxy resin mount and then make cool pendants and such.
Thank you for the informative video.
Is there anything you have to do before hand for the insect to insure it doesent decay?
This is a very informative video, keep up the good work sir
How do you rehydrate them if they're not fresh?
Sorry for late reply. Video on "How to rehydrate insects for pinning" is coming up soon. Do stay tuned.
Hi! Is it possible to pin an insect even though it has already dried? I found a dead cicada outside, in a pretty good condition but with the Italian summer burning anything that touches the ground I think its wings would break if I tried to open them...
Hi there. I am coming up soon with a new video on how to relax/rehydrate dried insects so they can be pinned and spread. Stay tuned.
Do I need to wait for it to dry if it was already dry
Next can you do spiders or scorpions?
Do these decompose? I found a couple of dead ones on the ground and only had them in a container for a couple of hours before opening and they smelled like they were rotting. Is any prep needed or will it all just dry out eventually? Thanks!
Pinned insects are exposed to dry warm air for a week or so. This will dessicate the innards and remain so without decomposing. Putting it inside a sealed container will rot anything.
@@TheSingtangpaScienceGuy thanks for the info!!
Thank you for making this!! :-)
You need to keep your specimens away from the sun light to.
How long does it take for the wings to dry?
Depends on the prevailing climate in ur area. Higher the humidity (especially) the longer it takes to dry. But typically, for cicadas, it can take anywhere from a week to 2/3 weeks.