Hairspray and Nail Polish on Pinned Insects?

[Inkie14]

I'm considering experimenting with hairspray and clear nail polish on my pinned insect collection. I'm thinking that the hairspray might help preserve color and protect against dermestid beetles and other pests, and a very thin layer of the clear nail polish might be good to use on shiny beetles and other insects with hard, shiny parts. (Sometimes my shiny pinned beetles can gather a layer of dust that dulls their color.)

I'm thinking about trying the hairspray at different stages- I can try it immediately after the insect is pinned, a few days after its been pinned, or once it's completely dried out. I'm going to probably experiment with different types of insects.

So what do ya think, good or bad idea?

 

[pannaking22]

Interesting idea. I know some people that have used clear nail polish to point mount insects, but I've never heard of it to be used to preserve them before. I'd be very curious to hear how this goes!

Some other factors you may want to consider are how the insects should be prepared before pinning (ex. degreasing tiger beetles beforehand) and how they were killed/how they were preserved before pinning. I'd wonder how an insect preserved in alcohol would compare to one just kept in the freezer. Using a kill jar could also have an effect because ethyl acetate, on of the primary ingredients in nail polish remover, is commonly used to kill the insects.

 

[Guest]

I’m really new to pinning bugs (I only have two butterflies loll) and I find it really fun and interesting but would using clear polish on their wings work well? They have very fragile wings and they are breaking in places or is there a different way to help with that?