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How to Preserve Insects for an Insect Collection

Collecting insects can be a fascinating hobby for a young naturalist. But once you have the insect captured, you need a way to kill it without damaging it. Insects are fragile and easily squashed. The best way to preserve them is to use a killing jar, which you can make from household items. Once the insects are dead, they are ready to be positioned, pinned, and labeled in your collection box.

Things You'll Need

Jar
Cardboard
Scissors
Cotton balls or sawdust
Nail polish remover
Masking tape
Forceps or tweezers
Specimen pins
Pinning block

Instructions

- 1
  Select your killing jar. An ideal killing jar will have a large mouth with a tightfitting screw-top lid. A quart-size mason jar, or a jar that held mayonnaise, works well.
- 2
  Cut a circle of cardboard with a diameter that matches the inside of your jar.
- 3
  Fill the bottom of the jar with 1 to 2 inches of cotton balls or sawdust.
- 4
  Pour in nail polish remover. Pour a little at a time, and keep adding it until no more is absorbed.
- 5
  Insert the cardboard into the jar, and press it down so it is resting on top of the layer of sawdust or cotton balls. Place the lid on the jar until you are ready to preserve your insects.
- 6
  Wrap the bottom part of the outside of the jar with masking tape to prevent sunlight from getting to the absorbent layer. This will make the nail polish remover last longer.
- 7
  Place the captured insect into the jar and screw on the lid. The insect will die within a few minutes.
- 8
  Retrieve the dead insect from the jar using a pair of forceps or tweezers. Handle it carefully.
- 9
  Pin the insects as soon as possible, while they are still pliable. To pin the insect, place it on a pinning block, and press the pin through the right side of the thorax. You can purchase a pinning block, or use a block of Styrofoam.

Animals & Science