How to Spread a Beetle

[@bfluker85]

That hot water trick is a gamechanger! I've been struggling with a relaxing chamber, but this works so well! I actually just used it on a stag beetle that I purchased from your etsy!

[@waywardhunter8633]

I have been doing crafts with epoxy resin for a few years. I found a recently dead beetle one day out on a walk. Its a small beetle, but i wanted to pin it before experiment with casting it in resin. This video, and many others like it, have given me a lot of great information on how to do this process. Btw, this is some good asmr.

[@holycrow1001]

this helped me so much!! thank you :D - a future entomologist

[@missydavis6678]

Cool beans! Or beetles! Love the square faces watch! This video is educational and nice to watch. Thank you.

[@Chaotic_Observer]

i used the hot water, and it worked almost instantly! one downside though, it ended up damaging part of my beetle's elitra and now its a little discolored. besides that though, im gonna try it again with a little less hot water:)

[@thelittlecaterpillar4048]

Hmmm…. I’ve had color damage with some insects, especially ones with bright colors. You can try reducing the temp of your water. Since we are located at high elevation, the water we use boils in the high 190’s

[@Vthoen]

Does the wings plates have antigravity powers?

[@chandlerpixiestickdealer7947]

😦 never thought about sum like this that’s craaaazy I wanna do this 😂

[@mindfullils3858]

nice video (:

[@christiancanchingre5976]

Greetings from Ecuador, very nice video. I have problems with Colaspis beetles. I have some banana plants and they do me a lot of damage. I have used chili and garlic as repellents, but nothing. What can I do there will be something to be able to repel or eliminate they won't let me harvest anything everything damages my bananas

[@Mokeh69420]

could you do it on a smaller beetle ?I need help with the wings

[@thebotanist7145]

Can you move the pincers without worrying that they'll break?

[@thelittlecaterpillar4048]

The pincers can be tricky, you can try fresh boiled water and dipping just those in for an additional several minutes. You can keep checking and re-submerging. Hope this helps!

[@thebotanist7145]

@@thelittlecaterpillar4048 Oy, thank you! I was worried that it might go wrong.. it would be a true heartbreak, since I always dreamed of owning a Stag Beetle myself (And they are stupidly rare around my area). But thanks to you he even shows of his awesome pincers, thanks so much for the tip!

[@iluvmilo25]

How do you deal with strong odor

[@thelittlecaterpillar4048]

Unfortunately we just deal with it while spreading but it should dissipate over time. If you can dry the specimen in a well ventilated area, that helps a lot.

[@floweryomi5351]

Is the boiling water trick applicable to Lepidopterans as well or no?

[@shmanhgge6735]

No, the scales will be ruined :/

[@floweryomi5351]

@@shmanhgge6735 good to know. Thanks!

[@forsakenraptor4931]

Do you know what kind of card board and plastic they use to store the beetle like he is before you opened him? I have some cicadas i need to store

[@thelittlecaterpillar4048]

It looks like regular cardstock/paperboard. Should be thick enough that it won’t bend and damage your specimen. You can also use a glassine envelope.

[@hotdoggitydig]

does it hurt the beetle?

[@thelittlecaterpillar4048]

Hi there, the beetle is not alive during the pinning process. It is dead, dried and preserved.

[@Down-in-TheDumps]

I clicked on this for the wrong reason But was not disappointed.

[@dkpedersen1979]

What type of beetle is this?

[@TimeNUniverse]

Stag beetle

[@thelittlecaterpillar4048]

A stag, Odontolabis ludekingi

[@pollefli4834]

Do you have to take out the insides before you pin it? I have a big beetle but I’m not sure where to start.

[@thelittlecaterpillar4048]

nope, it should be fine! Some of the bigger specimens have the insides removed and replaced with cotton, but I've always done beetles intact :)

[@liehann119]

to dry my beetle, can i freeze it? and if yes, how long do i freeze it?

[@thelittlecaterpillar4048]

@@liehann119 after hydrating your beetle and positioning it on the spreading board, you can just leave it in an open area with plenty of ventilation for 2 to 3 weeks. They should dry it sufficiently. Personally, we leave ours on open shelving unit.

[@liehann119]

@@thelittlecaterpillar4048 ahh okay thanks🙏🏻

[@egrace3738]

Good technique. Where do you get your specimens?

[@thelittlecaterpillar4048]

Check us out on our website, link in the description on the video ☺

[@user-kt5lh4qh2h]

where to buy these bodies?

[@thelittlecaterpillar4048]

Check out the link in description!

[@marccxxshammer6643]

👍🏼

[@mkv2718]

what, like on toast? sorry the title seems very silly out of context 😅