HUMIDIFYING CHAMBER

This tool is very important to collectors. It is a hermetic container (Tupperware type) which will produce humidity that gradually will enter into the insect body and parts making them supple before being mounted.

The container can be any size, depending on how many specimens you want to humidify. On the bottom of the container you should put clean sand (the type you can find at a beach - but not soil). The sand should be boiled for 15 minutes to eliminate germs and bacteria. A 1/4 inch layer is enough. Sand can also be bought at a garden center.

On top of the sand, you need a piece of window screen cut to fit the container. The insects will be deposited on this screen to allow the humid air to enter the insect from every side.

You now need to find something in plastic to place between the layer of sand and the screen. The screen must not touch the sand. For example, you can use plastic bottle caps, 6 to 10 spread evenly on the sand to make a support for the screen.

Your humidifying chamber is now ready. When you want to humidify insects, take out the screen and pour water (1.5 cups approx.) slowly in every corner of the container until all the sand is wet. Replace the screen and place the insects on it. After two to four days, your insects should be ready for mounting. Use forceps while holding the butterfly to try to open the wings, don't force them too much or you could damage the articulations. If they are supple enough, you can spread the butterflies on the drying board; if too stiff, place them back in the container for one or two more days.

Things to Know

To help the process, on the second day, you can inject some water or ethyl acetate inside the insect thorax using a syringe. This is particularly good for big beetles and sphinx moths (big bodies) but this is not mandatory to successfully complete the softening process.

If insect stay too long in the container, they will start to decay and fall apart. It is possible that you will notice some fungus on insects after few days. If this happens, you can impregnate a Q-tip with ethyl acetate and transfer it onto the insects by touching them gently.

You don't want to loose the humidity level in the container; every time you open it, you'll loose some. I suggest opening only one corner, grabbing the insect with forceps and rapidly reclosing the lid.

Allow the sand to dry between uses.

You can use rubbing alcohol on Q-tips to clean insects with hard bodies like beetles.

Never put rubbing alcohol on butterfly wings.

Simple Alternative

There is a simpler way to humidify insects: Place them on a small piece of styrofoam that you float on one inch of water contained in a sealed container.