lNSECTOID
Arachnopeon
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is hand sanitizer ok before i touch them? or will it damage them? is soap and water better? thanks!
is it ok to use hand sanitizer 70% alcohol then touch my insects?
- Thread starter lNSECTOID
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I'd use soap and water. The alcohol in hand sanitizer evaporates quickly, but it leaves a sticky residue behind. Now that you mention it, I wouldn't be touching insects anyway.
lNSECTOID
Arachnopeon
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i need to hand feed my female peacock mantis i bought her cheap cause she had a twisted raptor, mismolted wing, and a missing leg, she has trouble eating unless i hand feed her
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Rinse well after at least, not sure what other ingredients are in it but all I've ever used to kill insects for pinning was inhaled alcohol.
smoking/vaping etc. As long as you clean things with pure alcohol anyhow. Get it all the way off before a rehouse, I'd imagine over a long enough time frame the critters will get sticky too, but they get to molt. It reminds me I'm horrible, but this is the only room I have sometimes, especially in the winter. And still I have windows open then. If it is from nicotine, I'd even be careful spraying the sides as it can accumulate in the droplets and if they get a big enough dose, there's your DKS and it will either clear with time or be fatal...
Nah the sticky residue was already on there, it's hard to get off, I think we all know where it comes from
smoking/vaping etc. As long as you clean things with pure alcohol anyhow. Get it all the way off before a rehouse, I'd imagine over a long enough time frame the critters will get sticky too, but they get to molt. It reminds me I'm horrible, but this is the only room I have sometimes, especially in the winter. And still I have windows open then. If it is from nicotine, I'd even be careful spraying the sides as it can accumulate in the droplets and if they get a big enough dose, there's your DKS and it will either clear with time or be fatal...
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Rinse
Frogdaddy
Arachnoprince
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What are you doing with your hands that leaves a sticky residue?Nah the sticky residue was already on there, it's hard to get off, I think we all know where it comes from
Dry Desert
Arachnoprince
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What !!!Nah the sticky residue was already on there, it's hard to get off, I think we all know where it comes from
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Can we get a video of you hand feeding this mantis haha sounds interesting!
I’ve held a roach to take a picture but never hand fed a mantis.
I’ve held a roach to take a picture but never hand fed a mantis.
lNSECTOID
Arachnopeon
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- Sep 22, 2022
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next time sure, she refuses to eat without help, and has struck me before and broke my skin ! it was surprising. i have to cut the waxworm and get the juice in her mouth then she starts chewing and sometimes will hold it herself afterCan we get a video of you hand feeding this mantis haha sounds interesting!
I’ve held a roach to take a picture but never hand fed a mantis.
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Looks like a job for @HooahArmy
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70% alcohol commonly contains emollients, moisturizers and perfumes. Thus the sticky residue. Are those additives harmful? Depends on who manufactures the stuff but you probably don't want it on or around your animals.
70% alcohol is very common as it exceeds the 62% alcohol content threshold for full biocidal capability but alcohol quickly causes drying and natural oils removal in the skin, thus the additives.
@HooahArmy 62%? I forgot the exact figure.
I've got a couple of liters of 96% alcohol 3.9% water for stomp on the critters instant kill. NOT recommended for personal hygiene. Turns your skin into your long dead ancestors' in a few days.
70% alcohol is very common as it exceeds the 62% alcohol content threshold for full biocidal capability but alcohol quickly causes drying and natural oils removal in the skin, thus the additives.
@HooahArmy 62%? I forgot the exact figure.
I've got a couple of liters of 96% alcohol 3.9% water for stomp on the critters instant kill. NOT recommended for personal hygiene. Turns your skin into your long dead ancestors' in a few days.
Last edited:
HooahArmy
Arachnoknight
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The conch has been blown and I have been hailed!
Hand sanitizers, depending on brand, will have a majority alcohol content mixed with skin moisturizers such as vitamin e, stabilizers, glycerin, and/or aloe and the such. The goal of the alcohol is to clean/sanitize, while the other stuff works to keep your hands from drying out due to the evaporative nature of the alcohol.
Fortunately for us, alcohol is very volatile, meaning that it evaporates in snap, exiting into the air and no longer posing health risks to pets if we touch them after our hands have dried of the stuff. Touching any pet with wet sanitizers on the hands however is a no-go.
As for the other components of the sanitizer, they are safe for humans, but can be a toxin risk if ingested (cat licks your hand) or from contact due to residue transfer. To keep on the safe side, rinse with soap and water to sanitize your hands whenever you can, just as recommended by the other posters. Because we don't know how the residues will affect our inverts or pets, its best to err on the side of caution. Additionally, there is the fact that a residue might have an unpleasant smell to a critter. What smells like aloe sanitizer to us might smell like a threat to a creature, increasing the risk of bites and stings. Studies have shown that scented items attract mosquitoes (I also learned the hard way in the Army).
Soap is less likely to leave a residue, and when you use an unscented one, you lessen the amount of toxin risk for your pals.
Hand sanitizers, depending on brand, will have a majority alcohol content mixed with skin moisturizers such as vitamin e, stabilizers, glycerin, and/or aloe and the such. The goal of the alcohol is to clean/sanitize, while the other stuff works to keep your hands from drying out due to the evaporative nature of the alcohol.
Fortunately for us, alcohol is very volatile, meaning that it evaporates in snap, exiting into the air and no longer posing health risks to pets if we touch them after our hands have dried of the stuff. Touching any pet with wet sanitizers on the hands however is a no-go.
As for the other components of the sanitizer, they are safe for humans, but can be a toxin risk if ingested (cat licks your hand) or from contact due to residue transfer. To keep on the safe side, rinse with soap and water to sanitize your hands whenever you can, just as recommended by the other posters. Because we don't know how the residues will affect our inverts or pets, its best to err on the side of caution. Additionally, there is the fact that a residue might have an unpleasant smell to a critter. What smells like aloe sanitizer to us might smell like a threat to a creature, increasing the risk of bites and stings. Studies have shown that scented items attract mosquitoes (I also learned the hard way in the Army).
Soap is less likely to leave a residue, and when you use an unscented one, you lessen the amount of toxin risk for your pals.