My mom said I used to cry when she or my grandma would kill the roaches in my house
3 Likes
I did too!
1 Like
Fleas, ticks, chiggers, leeches, tapeworms, and mosquitos all also have central nervous systems. Cockroaches were just an example I had off the top of my head.
I think we’re getting off topic here, delving into existential matters that could probably fill books. I don’t think humans have any idea how other life forms perceive and interact with the world around them, and that’s all I will say about the topic, although I could rattle on about it for days. In terms of iNat, I’ve seen very, very few pinned or preserved observations. The overwhelming majority of them are of living things. Outside iNat, how we behave in moral and ethical terms towards non human life is a matter we all must decide. I do my best to minimise the loss of any life, but I’m not going to tell anyone else what to do.
3 Likes
In grade school I was known for saving the worms that were on the playground.
Apparently I beat up a short fourth grader when I was in third grade, because he smashed all of the butterflies that the kindergarten class at my school had raised, and just released. I don’t remember doing that though. Apparently my teacher found this funny?
7 Likes
I used to rescue earthworms from puddles by throwing them back on the grass. I wonder how many survived :)
1 Like
I always forgot to wash my hands afterwards. Oh well, I forget to do that after dissections a lot of times too.
Anyways, I haven’t gotten sick yet from forgetting, except when I got the sheep eyeball fluid in my mouth.
2 Likes
I don’t catch live insects I only pin dead ones but the only problem is that you cant find many that are in good condition.
You should bare in mind dead ones can have eggs and young larvae of Dermestidae on them, so be very careful with collecting dead ones.
3 Likes
I try to rescue drowning earthworms after a rain. I also wonder if they make it? Usually, they are kind of weak looking when I find them.
2 Likes
There were multiple theories of why they do that, one of them is parasits, though there were some others (not only a regular water doesn’t let them breath).
1 Like
Welcome to the forum. That seems like a nice compromise. I really know nothing about pinning insects, but I would guess it’s tougher, since the dead ones may be already dried out and stiff?
1 Like
I can get deep fried carabids in the summer here in Keizer, it is actually quite useful because when I pin them (After I freeze them to be sure) they do not need to be manipulated in any way. They look as if they are still alive ( except they have dead, unseeing eyes)and their legs are in the perfect position many times.
But sometimes this method of collection is not always the best.
Which also means the tigers and snail-eaters are easier to find/collect. Because they can’t bite me, or run away.
1 Like
Its fine I have only pinned a few and I make sure they’re not infested by bugs.
2 Likes
If you do get dermestids (you will see little piles of dust under the specimen) a day or so in the freezer stops it.
2 Likes
Initially I didn’t like the look of pinned insects, so I would freeze them and position them in realistic positions and then add them to shadow boxes by Family. So I have Dragonflies (actually 2 boxes), Damselflies, Moths and Butterflies. Some of the moths and butterflies were found dead, yet that didn’t distract from the beauty of a broken wing when the majority was still there. Found a member of Sphingidae with the whole ventral side eaten away, still looked beautiful mounted in the shadow box.
I now have a 7 drawer cabinet with entomology drawers filling up with pinned and labeled insects; spiders are kept in vials of alcohol. Every precaution is taken to preserve the collection from pesty bugs that don’t belong there, humidity and light. I’m still adding to the collection and I only keep a pair or 2 of a specific species. I don’t see the reason behind collecting more that. I know scientific institutions and places similar have boxes and boxes of the same insect and I’m sure they have a good reason behind it, yet for a single collector (myself) I don’t need that many. Nor do I have the room! So what I collect are very common insects in the area and I do check the protected species list when I am in a new area. Mostly I’m doing this to educate my young grandchildren, who run, scream and wave their arms when they see or hear a bee! Well, as much as I try to tell them ahead of time, that they are more likely to be stung acting erratically, than if they just stayed calm and walked away, fear over-rides. Trying to tell a young child that the large Eastern Carpenter Bee that flew in front of her face, isn’t interested in her because she’s not made of wood, didn’t go over when it actually came close!. Carpenter = wood. So I told her that I do collect bees, wasps, hornets and she immediately said, “Not the stingers!” I told her I have them also and I wasn’t stung. So my first intention is to give the grandchildren a closeup look at those insects that they run from. I’m also going to show them the mimics, who look like bees, wasps, etc. yet they are harmless flower flies! Just because it looks and acts like a bee, doesn’t mean it is a bee. Even the little Eastern Amberwing dragonfly mimics wasps!
So with my collection, they’ll be able to see spiders and other beautiful dragonflies and damselflies that they may not even have a chance to see. Kids don’t seem to want to hike in the woods anymore, they’re too attached to their electronics. So, hopefully this will ignite the flame needed to explore the world around them and I don’t mean visiting the malls either!
If none of the seven grandchildren have a real interest in enlarging the collection and learning more, it will be donated to a high school/college that can use it. Hopefully it will be treated with the same care that I’m putting into establishing and maintaining it. With a pinned insect in hand, so much information can be passed on and young ones soak up information like sponges. I like to tell them interesting facts while asking them questions. Where does a bee carry the pollen he collects? Do they know the honeybee dance? What’s the purpose of a fly mimicking a bee? Are they aware of how many fruits and vegetables we would not be able to eat without the help of bees? So we can help bees by planting a “pollination prairie” not too far from their house. Get young ones interested! At table-talks to the public about native plants, I made a “woodland fairy” puppet named ‘Fern’ that brings the kids over to our table! 
You remember how it was when you were dragged around when parents were talking to other adults about stuff. How cool would it be to have a “woodland fairy” talk to you about nature, pollinators, bugs, bees and planting native plants. Even though I’m not a ventriloquist, the kids don’t care, they don’t talk to me, they do talk to the puppet because the puppet talks to them!
Woah! Better pull myself back to the topic! It’s just that I get excited talking to kids about anything and everything nature related! So I use my basic pinned insect collect to teach!
11 Likes
This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.