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Post by Paul K on Nov 21, 2015 1:32:57 GMT
I have just check my papered specimens from French Guiana and discover dry mold on Sphinx moths. The mistake I have made was to remove the papered specimens in the zip lock bugs from freezer and store them in my storage room without proper drying. I finally found them in one of the box after 3 years and find most of them covered with dry mold. Fortunately they are all double specimens but i want to recover as much as possible. Paul ---------------------------------- ICF ads : THE BEST INSECTS FOR SALE ON THE WEB :Click here
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Post by timmsyrj on Nov 21, 2015 9:16:14 GMT
I use a small flat bristle art brush, I have cut the bristles down by half (this makes them a bit stiffer) and if the mold is dry it should just brush off, do this prior to re hydration, after relaxing wipe the specimens gently with a tissue to remove any residue, the mold should be dead if it's completely dry but adding tcp to the relaxing box will inhibit any more mold occurring.
Rich
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Post by cabintom on Nov 24, 2015 20:08:43 GMT
I do the same... just be very careful, especially with hairier specimens, as you can easily brush the hairs off as well.
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Post by timmsyrj on Nov 25, 2015 19:19:11 GMT
True, but if the hairs on the brush are not too stiff it shouldn't be an issue, though to be honest, losing a few body hairs is not an issue for me as long as the mold is gone and the specimen is intact. I might add, Do not inhale the mold dust as spores might be present which can't be good for the lungs.
Rich
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jhyatt
Aurelian
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Country: U.S.A.
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Post by jhyatt on Dec 6, 2015 23:58:37 GMT
When confronted with an old papered specimen which has mold on the body, I usually treat it with an antifungal to kill any active spores which might eventually start growing (especially in the relaxer!) I prepare a dilute solution of antifungal (I like to use either thymol or chlorocresol), about 1 weight % in ethyl alcohol and apply the solution to the body of the specimen with a small camel-hair brush. I use enough to wet the body, then let it dry a couple of hours before brushing away any visible mold and starting the relaxing process.
Sometimes the antifungal solution will seep into the wings a bit, but after drying I've not been able to detect any damage. Body hairs may end up a bit matted, but this procedure seems to me to prevent later mold growth.
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Post by deliasfanatic on Dec 7, 2015 3:45:53 GMT
I've done the same as above, but paint it with rubbing alcohol. So far, so good, and never any visible damage.
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The15thMember
New Aurelian
Thought of a better name for myself, but it's still me! (I didn't want anyone to be confused.)
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Post by The15thMember on Jan 18, 2016 18:26:08 GMT
Hi there! I had a butterfly I had stored in what turned out to be too humid of a location. I was able to clean the mold off the body pretty well using diluted Lysol and a paintbrush, but my specimen has some mold on the wings as well. Is there any way to clean the mold off the wings without damaging them?
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Post by cabintom on Jan 18, 2016 20:37:35 GMT
my specimen has some mold on the wings as well. Is there any way to clean the mold off the wings without damaging them? When I've dealt with this type of situation, I've usually had success just lightly brushing the mold off with a small paintbrush (like what comes with kids water colour paint sets)... but I imagine it depends on what type of mold you're dealing with, and unfortunately, the specimen never looks 100% perfect afterwards.
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The15thMember
New Aurelian
Thought of a better name for myself, but it's still me! (I didn't want anyone to be confused.)
Posts: 5
Country: USA
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Post by The15thMember on Jan 19, 2016 17:52:40 GMT
Alright, thanks. I'll give that a try.
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The15thMember
New Aurelian
Thought of a better name for myself, but it's still me! (I didn't want anyone to be confused.)
Posts: 5
Country: USA
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Post by The15thMember on Feb 11, 2016 16:46:54 GMT
Well, it seems to have worked! Only time will tell if I really got all of it off, but it appears to be clean now! Thanks for the help!
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Post by Adam Cotton on Feb 11, 2016 19:35:54 GMT
As long as the specimen is kept in low humidity the mould should not return. If the humidity is high then invisible fungal spores present on the wings may well germinate and grow into mould again.
Also beware that tiny Psocid pests that eat specimens primarily are attracted to and eat mould on the surface of insects before eating the rest of the insect. If the humidity is very low it really does help to prevent both mould and many pests too.
Adam.
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The15thMember
New Aurelian
Thought of a better name for myself, but it's still me! (I didn't want anyone to be confused.)
Posts: 5
Country: USA
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Post by The15thMember on Feb 11, 2016 22:56:54 GMT
Alright, thanks for the info. I'll try and find a place in my house that's not humid. It's an old house, not sealed well, and it's a struggle, I tell you.
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Post by Paul K on Apr 23, 2016 23:06:38 GMT
I have few specimens which they were attacked by mold to the point that the abdomen is empty inside and visibly damaged. That happened while the specimen was drying out in wet enveloped removed from the freezer.
Is there any potential risk of including those effected once in the collection once they are fully dry, or it is better to discard them to avoid future problems inside the drawers.
Paul
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Post by Adam Cotton on Apr 24, 2016 18:39:37 GMT
"That happened while the specimen was drying out in wet enveloped removed from the freezer."
You should always put specimens in an airtight container before putting them in the freezer. After removing the box from the freezer wait until it and the contents have reached room temperature and then open the box, at least a few hours later. If you know there are wet specimens in the box then open it as soon as the temperature has equalised and separate them from the others, and either spread them straight away or change the envelopes (don't forget to write the data on them as well!).
It is never a good idea to put specimens in wet envelopes in the freezer. If the envelopes are wet, change them for dry ones first (ditto above re data!). Wet envelopes will freeze producing ice, and will probably damage the specimen in the process.
Adam.
PS. In answer to your question, if you remove all the mould and use some alcohol to kill any mould or spores remaining then thoroughly dry them out there should be no problem unless the draw subsequently becomes wet or is kept in high humidity. These specimens are more likely to show signs of fresh mould before any others if the draw is subjected to humid conditions, so you should check them regularly.
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Post by neominois on Jul 25, 2016 4:38:15 GMT
I recently had several specimens with mold on them that I was preparing to spread. Prior to spreading them, I simply dribbled a little acetone over the body and wings and that got rid of the mold very quickly. I specimens are now on the board with no evidence of mold... -------------- ICF ads : THE BEST INSECTS FOR SALE ON THE WEB :Click here
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