Frozen Bugs - An Alternative way to Kill Jars and prepare Specimens for Pinning

Our Summer 2014 bug collection is getting enourmous! We have exceeded all expectations and crossed the 1,000 specimens mark. Our two biggest finds with nearly 200 insects each added a whopping 400 insects in a brief 2 month (or so) period. We don't always use my unique kill jar method (Acetone nail polish remover on a cotton ball). We often use the freezer method when accessible.

Frozen Bugs - An Alternative way to Kill Jars and prepare Specimens for Pinning 

Which luckily freezers seem to always be accessible. Once we capture an insect, either dead or injured, we put them in our jars, or mom's makeshift bug envelope and freeze them. Freezing is a nice humane method. The insect nearly instantly gets drowsy / gets stunned from the cold. Their so small, the chill affects them instantly. The freezer method is also sterile because the jars (which we clean with soap and water after each capture) don't use chemicals like with traditional kill jars. Any bacteria the insects carry is within the safety of the jar.

In this picture I removed the lid and one fly for a size example. As always, I prefer plastic jars when working with my kids. We simply keep and clean plastic containers from what we love to eat - Nutella containers (with the paper lining from the inner lid removed), a Polish mustard jar (I make my awesome salad dressing with it & of course use a schmear on grilled Polish Sausage), and the blue point is a quickly made envelope (from paper we looked for when we found the Western Conifer Hemiptera).

In the Process of Collecting Bugs - a Mid Season Review of Our Family Hobby in Progress

Insect Collecting doesn't have to take up a lot of space. Here I have a Tupperware container storing our pins, glues, and chemicals. The small clear case temporarily holds the bugs until we find the bigger home. This is a tupperware container holding our pinning and staging supplies. 

In the Process of Collecting Bugs - a Mid Season Review of Our Family Hobby in Progress

Here are some additional supplies laid out. I have My Tupperware container on the top left. Next to the right is a 4-pack of clear boxes form a garage sale, for found injured or dead specimens. The 2nd row from the left, is my pinsol vile for the hydration jar, Clear nail polish, a plain plastic collection jar - also can be used as a hydration jar, lid, small styrofoam piece with pins for staging, purple push pad, envelope with steel pins, Small container and lid for 50/50 mix of water and pinesol when used for hydration (I put the bottom vowl in the hydration jar, and the insect - not in the liquid - in the jar).