Lubber grasshopper pinning?

[blankbee]

hey all, my pet lubber grasshopper recently died from old age, I had him since August and while I'm a lil sad over his death, I wanna preserve him. he's been in the freezer since Saturday (when he died). I ordered an insect pinning kit off Amazon and it should arrive here tomorrow, so my question is:

Will he decay if I pin him and put him in a closed glass frame? Lubbers are huge grasshoppers and I saw a couple websites saying I should gut him, but I really don't wanna do that and risk messing up his shape. Will he keep his color as well, or will he become discolored? If I pin him in a certain position, will he stay that way (since he's been in the freezer, surely dried up by now) or will he shrivel?

thanks for any answers

 

[blankbee]

not sure if bumps are allowed but I've received the kit and still need some advice on the preservation part

 

[Dry Desert]

not sure if bumps are allowed but I've received the kit and still need some advice on the preservation part

Why not preserve it in clear resin as apposed to pinning. You could make a paper weight or similar and if done soon will preserve all the shape and colours.

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

Gutting it will make a big difference to the final outcome. Not only can it rot and small bad, but the abdomen will become shrivelled. Should be simple - one slit, scrape out what you can reach, stuff gently with cotton, glue shut. When it comes out of the freezer, put it in an airtight container with paper towels (and cotton batting if you have some) to thaw. If you put it in the freezer fresh, it should be flexible once it's thawed. If it's too stiff, add a little moisture (water with a bit of bleach works well) to the paper towels/cotton batting, and let it sit overnight. Should soften right up. At that point you can gut it, stuff it, and then pin it. Once it's pinned you'll need to let it dry completely before you remove all the positioning pins, or the limbs will contract.

 

[blankbee]

Gutting it will make a big difference to the final outcome. Not only can it rot and small bad, but the abdomen will become shrivelled. Should be simple - one slit, scrape out what you can reach, stuff gently with cotton, glue shut. When it comes out of the freezer, put it in an airtight container with paper towels (and cotton batting if you have some) to thaw. If you put it in the freezer fresh, it should be flexible once it's thawed. If it's too stiff, add a little moisture (water with a bit of bleach works well) to the paper towels/cotton batting, and let it sit overnight. Should soften right up. At that point you can gut it, stuff it, and then pin it. Once it's pinned you'll need to let it dry completely before you remove all the positioning pins, or the limbs will contract.

right, so, gut, stuff with cotton, pin, let dry? will that be sufficient to preserve him?

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

right, so, gut, stuff with cotton, pin, let dry? will that be sufficient to preserve him?

That is the standard method, yes.