How to Relax and Pin Dehydrated Insects 

I have a bumblebee I found in my grandparents’ light fixture that hadn’t been changed in about thirty years. She’d been there so long she’s all faded! Still sweet though and I’m really hoping to give her a second life as art, so thank you so much

Just recently dropped alcohol and went into bug pinning as my new hobby; thank you for this knowledge even though it was posted 5 years ago as of now 🙏🙏🙏

He attacc He protecc But most Importantly, He pin insecc

This was really helpful! I make resin art with insects and spiders but struggle with posing because I mostly use already dead insects/spiders I find. This will definitely help me make better looking art.

Anyone else think he was saying to relax while pinning insects.

Thank you, I lost the daddy moth of my hornworm colony this morning and couldn't find him until tonite, no surprise because he'd eclosed 13 days ago but it was sad as he'd already hardened up in a badly contorted position. I'll be able to give him a proper memorial now.

Using some dehydrated bees from a bee farm for my Candyman costume this year and this is super helpful. Thank u!

Thank you for this!! I found a dead stag beetle that's so brittle...but I have no idea you have to relax them first!

I am glad to see this video! With child care and household responsibilities, and the fact that I'm the only one in the household who will work with the collected insects/spiders, there are times the specimens dry out. Now I can do something about it. Being new to this interest, I very much appreciate your teachings. Thank you!

Had no idea where to begin with preserving all of the insects I’ve found. Also glad to know I’m not the only one with a random box of bugs somewhere haha I will definitely be using this method for my specimens. However, I’d like to frame a few of mine. I’m worried they’ll get crushed between the glass once they dry up again. Any suggestions would be amazingly helpful. Thanks for the video!

Hot water works really well for the humidity from my experience

I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to let bugs dry before mounting! Thanks for this, my collection may yet be mounted.

I've had a few beetles in a jar awaiting pinning for a few weeks now and it feels great to see it's not too late

Super new to the art of pinning insects. Thank you for the tips!

found a beautiful giant leopard moth and forgot about it, this saved it thanks!

Thanks Jason for great video on relax & pin dehydrated insects with very useful tips.

As usual I bought a pinning kit before I did any research and this is more than I expected. Let’s get started.

My kids and i went to a bug museum here in colorado springs. So many bugs some preserved and pinned as early as the 20s! I was definitely wondering how its done. So fascinating!

I found a beautiful large dead bee and knew I had to bring him home. How long do I need to keep him pinned before I can make him a display? Do I need to do anything special to keep him from deteriorating?

This worked so well! Thank you for making this it helped alot

Thanks for the video! It’s just what I was looking for to help me with some resin projects. 👍👍

Thank You! I found it very helpful for someone who knows nothing about painting and framing insects and I'm just starting to get into it I found your video very helpful thank you again

Great video! With the impending Brood X Cicada event, I want to preserve some wings for art projects, like fairy wings, jewelry etc. do you have any suggestions for success with spreading the wings to dry? I’ll be collecting the dead insects, so will use the rehydrating process you’ve outlined in this video. Also, suggestions for rendering the wings less fragile would be super helpful. Any day now, can’t wait to experience this event!

Cool video. New to dissection so great for my education at 77

This is awesome thaaanks

I like storing my beetles in a 70% solution of isopropyle alcohol. Will this have an effect on ther colors?

I have a few beautiful examples of Compton Tortoiseshell butterflies, but they have died with their wings folded together in the "up" position. Any suggestions as how I can relax those wings (without breaking or smearing them) into an open position so I can photograph the beautiful colors that are currently hidden? Thank you.

This is so nice

Thank you!!

Gracias por compartir, te dejo mi like 19... feliz domingo!!!

So, I'm a taxidermist and I've been wondering before I get into bug pinning, do they just dry out with no need for preservation after they're pinned? They won't mold or anything???? (If they're enclosed in a jar or something

Thank you for the video! I just now found some old beetle specimens at home that I made back in high school. They were made poorly and I want to re-adjust their posture. Do you suggest I do the re-adjustment with your method or just don't re-adjust it? I think they remained in that posture for around 8 years...

Can i relax insects if im going to be preserving them in hand sanitizer? I found a dead mole cricket, its not super brittle, but its very sriff. The legs are stuck in a very awkward and ugly position, and i want know if its okay to relax it, or if it'll get ruined if I relax it and put it in hand sanitizer.

Awesome. Subscribed! I will try this.

Wow.. your hands are so pretty almost thought I was looking at a hand model! XD

Amazing video!! What do you usually do in insect preservation if specimens are dusty or “contaminated” when found? I have two wonderful bumblebees currently in a clean milk bottle cap, but recently found they are covered in some still live bee mites- not sure what the professionals do here!!

Great video, thanks for share this! But, I need your help, I have several cuchoo wasp samples for study and I don't know how to relax and mount them without to break their body, I don't know if you have a video about mounting small insects (less than a cm of lenght), or do you know a video or book where I can learn about that.

I have an earwig farm and I wanna Preserve some of them, but they are quite small and I don’t have any pinning experience, So should I just try to pin the earwigs or should I start with something bigger?

What is the longest amount of time I can relax a beetle? Other than mold, will anything happen?

This'll be very useful for a lot of people for sure. Mail already sent, greetings

Hello, I am currently freezing a spider. I'm waiting for a glass display to arrive at my house, so in the meantime, the spider is in the freezer for a few days. I have a feeling I can't just start immediately because the spider will still have the bodily fluids. When I start, what are the proper steps to unfreeze and dry the spider?

Hi! How long can you leave dried insects before the relaxing jar does not work. I've got some dried insects from about 6 years ago and was wondering if relaxing them will still work. Thanks.

How long does a bumblebee need to decay after pinning it?

Hey do you have any tips for pinning tiny newly dead moths? I have one that is going to emyrge soon then die in about a week, i would love some tips :>

Okay, after the pinning process, how do you display them? I don’t think they’re displayed with all the pins right? I’m trying to pin some Painted Ladies that I found already dead during the migration that went on a few days prior

I have a question about relaxing insects. I have tried the relaxing chamber method with moths that have been kept in a dry environment for over a year, and after being 3 days in the relaxing chamber, they simply were not relaxed, stiff as before. So I used a few drops of Barber's fluid which helped. But then I needed to relax some beetles and I submerged them in Barber's fluid for some days, and it worked great. The problem is they do not get stiff again, they have been drying pinned with legs in the right positions for several days, and still relaxed so I cannot move them to the specimens display box yet. Will they ever get rigid again?

Thanks! Watching for a years long passed Cobalt Blue Tarantula. I really wanted to show her nicely but not damage her at all.

Thank you i found a very large dragon fly on the side of the road while traveling i want to fram it for my mum and had to put it in a cup it dried in a horrible position and i need to fix it! Thank you!

I stumbled across your channels after seeing some beautiful spiders cast into resin earrings on Etsy and started looking up how I can do that myself (I work with resin but never had a chance to preserve insects). Then I remembered my mother brought me a Rhinoceros Beetle from work about 15 years a go and I still have it in the jar today. Is it too late to relax it in order to preserve it in resin? I don't want to ruin her, she's still a very vibrant shade of black despite being so old for a specimen; but I'd much rather give her a better display than a dusty old baby food jar. Thanks in advance!

Where do i place the first needle on wasp

Is it ok to varnish they after you have pinned it , like beetles and June bugs . So it’s shiny forever and easier to clean when it gets dusty?

Okay, so, just to clarify, I don't actually try to put the needle trough the Insects legs, but i place the legs on top off the pin?

What size are those pins?

Is there a way to remove mold or nice it forms? My daughter tried to mount a cicada and the wings got moldy.

Hi! I tried to use a relaxing chamber to soften up an oriental hornet (Vespa orientalis), but its abdomen really darkened. Is there a way to relax a wasp while preserving its color? Thanks!

Is there anything else that i can use except for alcohol?

thanks

Hi,would like to seek some advice. I have a rhino beetle which has been sitting in a jar of alcohol for many years. Is it still possible to take it out, dry it and mount it as display?

How long it takes before pinning the insect into the spreading board? Or is it okay to preserve the insect/put it in killing jar before pinning it. I have my collection of insects like praying mantis, bees, beetle, grasshoppers, and others.. what will I do in order to preserve them except on putting it in the freezer... I used mothball to kill them, is there any possible that they will be decayed. Thank you for response. #entomologysubject

Would this work on an old dried up spider? Trying to do something about it’s curled up legs

Can you preserve katydids in a jar with rubbing alcohol? I have a katydid and it's pinned on a styrofoam. I'm scared that it will break like what happened to my moth

Thank you

Hey Jason! My cat killed a massive and gorgeous dragonfly who had the misfortune of flying into my apartment yesterday. I decided that I shouldn't waste the beauty of this guy - he's nearly the size of my hand and has extraordinary markings. I've just put it on a paper towel and a plate while I research what the heck to do with it. I think I would like to pour him into resin to protect him and make him a sturdy displayable piece. Do you recommend freezing this guy in a plastic bag until I acquire the proper supplies? Would appreciate any advice! I want to be sure I respect his body and take proper care of him. 😅

Any advice on how to do this with frog beatles? I'm having a really hard time with the legs, I can't straighten them. It's been almost 20 hours and still the legs won't straighten at all. Any advice you can give regarding the Frog beetle is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

In my entomology subject we need to collect insects and pin it. What other method I need to do except putting it in freezer before pinning. I used mothball to kill the insect, is it useful?

i found a dead spider and wanted to pin it, but i had to wait for a week until i got home. Thanks!

Great video, really helpful! :) I have some beetles that I want to relax, but the problem is that they stink really bad. I've had them for some months and the smell is just... Do you know how I can make the smell go away? They're in small containers so maybe I should leave them open? Thanks

I’ve just started preserving bugs, I’ve preserved 3 so far and I just preserve them in hand sanitiser :)

I found a really cool bluet damselfly. Do I need to do the rehydration even though I just found it?

I have a really nice cicada I found . It was freshly dead and in immaculate shape. Now it's been sitting for a few days and I now need to learn how to relax it for my specimen box.

I read on some website that you should place the bugs directly onto damp paper towels and love them for a couple days. Obviously now I know that was not good advice because all my insects are moldy :( I’m does anyone know if they are still salvageable?

Oh neat!!! I can actually pin my collection now :]

Hi, I am trying to buy dehydrated beetles and butterfly's for macro photography, any tips?

I found a beautiful cicada a few months ago, in perfect condition. I’m trying to pin him to a frame that I have so I can hang him up on my wall. I’m going to try this, and hopefully it works out! I’ll update this comment a few days afterwards. Thanks!🖤🕸 EDIT: 5 months went by already? Geez! I need to get on top of these yt comments lmao. Anyways, I ended up keeping him in the jar for a few days, and he was flexible enough to be taken out. I pinned him with his wings open, kept him there for a month or two, and he looks great! He’s stayed in the position since while I’m attempting to find a nice frame to put him in. Any cheap suggestions on where I could buy one online would be awesome. Best of luck to everyone who also decides to try this technique out! ;)

I’ve had a large, beautiful dragonfly in my freezer for unfortunately 4 months. Does this still apply?

How to handle dried dragonflies? I want to relax it for pinning

Would this work for a large bodied insect like a mantis?

How would you relax a large insect like a moth? My father in law gave us a gorgeous Luna moth specimen and I would love to display it.

Dos wiski work I don't think I have pure alchole

I have two grasshoppers that have been in the freezer for a few days, I still don’t have all the needed supplies to pin, so for now I am waiting. They have a thin icy layer on their back. But my question is, do I have to relax them after taking them out? They seem rather stiff.

For those who are wondering what temp should the water be at* Not the exact #temp Its just warm or cold. It i warm.*

How long would one relax a bumblebee? Would it be the same, or less time? Different youtubers have appeared to have different opinions, but I trust your channel, so I'd like to hear what you have to say about it.

dont u kill the insect before pinning? im a amatuer. u said that u pin right away but dont u first freeze them?

I found a pook warm ..what will I do

I always loosened up my cicadas by putting them directly in alcohol since they're so hardy, but I'll make sure to go with this instead

I got a beetle from ebay, so I almost definitely need to do this before pinning, yeah?

You’ve helped me pin my beloved mantis and one I found outside! I had to make bigger chambers but I’m excited to look for bugs that unfortunately passed in my daughters sandbox!

Would you consider making a video with your pinned insect that you have collected?

I’m gonna capture all the mayflies that get in my house and make a collection

So this is how you relax them if you found them dried up right? well what if you found them drowned?

i found a huge dragonfly of about 8cm in length and 12cm wing length but i have no idea of how to preserve such a huge insect

Is it also a good ideato do this before clear resin

That beetle looks very familiar...

Is this also applicable after i took the insect out of the freezer?

I want to preserve a wasp I found but I can’t because I’m not allowed to use our hand sanitizer since we’re in the middle of a pandemic 😭 any tips?

What exactly is the slack channel ?

Can you preserve caterpillars???

Can someone list everything needed and the process step by step for me? Much easier to read it than to keep pausing and rewinding.

well i will keep dose insect

is the beetle ok though this looks like insect abuse