1. Moved newly hatched stick insects into containers with the larger ones. Gave them a refreshing spritz with distilled water.
Newbie Death Toll:
One small to medium sized guy that I accidentally squished with the nymph container (fortunately a local species). Kept this to myself.
2. Trimmed wicks and cleaned outside of water containers for large Milkweed Bugs. (A lot of the insects get their water from the tips of cotton wicks that hang out of the side of lidded water containers.) Fed them milkweed seeds.
Newbie Death Toll:
4 or 5 guys who were stuck to the bottom of the first water container and were accidentally drowned and scalded with hot water. Kept this to myself, quickly flushed them down the drain to avoid discovery. Thoroughly checked bottoms of containers from then on.
3. Crushed the heads of 100 mealworms (so they wouldn't crawl away) and fed them to Assassin bugs using veeeery long forceps. Successfully trimmed the wicks, refilled and replaced Assassin bug water container without being bitten.
Newbie Death Toll:
Nobody but the mealworms
4. Removed all flour beetles from 16 jars and identified/threw away the dead ones. (More time consuming than you would imagine since these guys are excellent at playing dead.) Sorted through 20 petry dishes, removed dead beetles and replaced with live, removed old food and replaced with new, cleaned eggs off glass egglayey things and brushed all the eggs into a new jar.
5. Listened to stories and learned that Carpenter Bee females can sting through gloves, paper wasps can't sting through even latex gloves.
Day 2:
1. Went to the RPAC and took part in the Heath and Wellness Fair. Stood at a table and educated people about ticks and bed bugs. Grossed a lot of people out, but brought the gift of knowledge to many. I was there with George, head of the insectary, and my advisor, Dr. Needham, as well as a container full of bed bugs--it was taped shut.
2. Did all that stick insect business again. No deaths today. I have decided I don't like the Australian stick insect nymphs--they're fast, they hang onto the forceps, and they look threatening.
3. Mixed up food for the mealworms--baby cereal, honey and glycerin. My hands now feel very smooth.
4. Listened to stories and learned that
a) if you're stung on the head by a scorpion, your face will go numb
b) if you have an Egyptian Cobra and it gets loose in your house, your wife will leave you
3 comments:
we have all kindsa crazy spiders now that we're in the country. I can't get over the fact that the "garden spider" is called that - it is so huge and bright and menacing...how can it be called something so benign? Anyway, do you know about the orchid mantis? Google image it. This is a bug I could get into.
Those orchid mantises are yet another bug I just won't believe until I see it in person. Too cool.
Perhaps watching a video of them mating on youtube will increase your faith. It's not sexy, but it's convincing.
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