How to Kill Insects for Collections

Killing Jar

• 1

  Clean out an empty, plastic peanut butter jar.

• 2

  Place the peanut butter jar bottom-down on a piece of newspaper.

• 3

  Trace around the bottom of the jar with a pencil and cut out the shape you traced. Trace and cut out more newspaper so that when the pieces are stacked, the pile is approximately a 1/2 inch high.

• 4

  Place these pieces of newpaper in a glass bowl.

• 5

  Pour fingernail polish remover onto the pieces of newspaper and allow the paper to absorb the liquid.

• 6

  Pour off any liquid not absorbed.

• 7

  Fit the damp newspaper pieces into the bottom of the peanut butter jar.

• 8

  Cut a sheet of tissue paper into multiple, 1-inch-wide strips.

• 9

  Place the tissue strips into the peanut butter jar. These strips will absorb moisture from the newspaper and provide a hiding place for the insects you capture. The insects will not thrash around and damage their bodies when they are hiding beneath the strips.

• 10

  Place a live insect into the finished killing jar and screw on the cap. The insect will die quickly and be ready for your collection.

Freezing

• 11

  Place one insect into a resealable plastic bag.

• 12

  Put the plastic bag into the freezer for three hours.

• 13

  Remove the insect from the plastic bag, and it is ready for your collection.