Aftercare For Your Pieces

Disclaimer: I am not responsible for the neglect of your pieces once they are in your home. It is the buyers responsibility to read how to care for the pieces that they purchase. However I will do the best I can to help remedy the issue!

Preserved Insects: These specimens need to be kept out of direct sunlight and away from any heating vents. Sunlight can bleach the specimen and cause humidity to build up inside the enclosure, leading to depositioning, mold, and mites. Mites and dermestid beetles may become an issue at any time, as mite eggs are typically laid inside the specimen when they are alive and can be triggered to hatch with heat. I always do my best to seal frames to prevent pests from entering or leaving. However, I do not seal my domes, as I've seen issues with clouding glass over time.

You can kill mites by putting the piece in your freezer for 72 hours.

I recommend an annual freezing of your pieces if you have a large collection, or if you live in a humid area.

Wet Specimens: These must also be kept out of direct sunlight and away from any heating vents. This causes the alcohol inside to evaporate quickly. Just due to time, the alcohol will evaporate and you will need to top off your specimens with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Do not let the alcohol level dip below the specimen, as it will dry out and be prone to damage. Since these are stored in alcohol, the chance of mold or bacteria is extremely unlikely. Overtime, the alcohol in the jars can turn yellow. This is just what happens as the alcohol ages, and doesn't cause any issues outside of aesthetics. Exposure to sunlight drastically speeds up this process. Just pour out the old alcohol and replace with new 70% isopropyl alcohol.

For globes that have a rubber plug at the bottom, I like to set a washcloth down in my kitchen sink and set the globe upside down, nested in the drain hole. This makes it so it doesn't roll around or create a pressure point. It's also much easier to slightly lift or pull back a small part of the plug rather than removing it entirely. You can then pour out / refill the globe.

Diaphonized Specimens: These specimens need to be kept out of direct sunlight and away from heating vents. They are stored in 100% vegetable glyerin and a crystal of Thymol, an anti-fungal and anti-microbial chemical derived from the herb Thyme. If for any reason the vessel breaks, just rinse of the specimen and put into a container of vegetable glycerin. The specimen should have enough Thymol absorbed to keep it stable. Glycerin itself should be shelf stable for life if kept in good conditions.

These methods are useable for both my art and others.

If there are any concerns or if you need help, feel free to send me an email using the button below