The document explains a method for preserving insect specimens in hand sanitizer, allowing for creative displays that can be safely handled. It details the process of selecting appropriate specimens, removing air bubbles, and adding labels or decorative items to enhance the display. The technique is user-friendly and suitable for both children and adults, with additional tips for achieving optimal results.

1. How To Preserve Insect Specimens in Hand SanitizerBy DejenMengis, Carl White, Moriah Browning, Denise Williams, Sarah Fisher

2. Purpose and HistoryHand sanitizer is a gelled alcohol and can be used to create very cool insect specimen displays that, unlike pinned specimens, can be handled by children and the publicSpecimens will appear to float in air inside the vials and do not sink or move despite any amount of handling (Sam Droege has kept a vial in his pocket for 2 months without any shifting, for example)This technique was shown to us by Wayne White, BCE, of American Pest who has used hand sanitizer to preserve and display bed bug specimens

3. Pour hand sanitizer into an empty vial

4. Choose a dried, alcohol- or glycol- preserved specimen

5. Which Specimens to Use?Specimens that have been in alcohol, glycol, or dried work wellSpecimens that are freshly killed appear to dissolve the gel in the sanitizer for some reason

6. Move the specimen toward the bottom of the vial with a probe

7. Bubble Removal: Water Bath MethodAt this point, there are probably many air bubbles in the vial. The next series of slides demonstrates how to remove these bubblesAir also exists inside specimens and needs to be removed or bubbles will gradually migrate outside the specimen over time

8. Pour an inch of water into a pot

9. Place the vial or vials into the pot, don’t forget that hand sanitizer will burn if exposed to an open flame!

10. Boil the vial in the water for 10 minutes or until most of the bubbles are gone

11. Carefully, take the vial out of the water

12. Use a pipette with a bulb to remove any remaining bubbles

13. Top off the vial with more hand sanitizer

14. Position the specimen as preferred Even dried specimens become flexible

15. Tips…Thoroughly clean vials before useYou can add labels to vials that “float”You can add things like beads, dried flowers, sand etc. that will also float in place…and makes good “clean” fun for kids to make their own insect dioramas. OK, some adults like this tooAlways be sure to overfill with hand sanitizer and if possible permanently seal the vials to eliminate bubbles

16. Alternative Bubble Removal: Vacuum Works reasonably well but….Specimens and hand sanitizer tend to bubble out of the vial more easily as air bubbles expand under vacuum

17. Not as efficient as heating in removing all the bubbles in the vial

18. Vacuum pumps are expensiveCorrespondence and questions can be addressed to: Sam Droege (sdroege@usgs.gov)Thanks to JelleDevalez for picture taking