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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 5/8/14 3:00 PM, Copley, Claudia
RBCM:EX wrote:<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">Hi
everyone<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black">Our
“classic” critical point dryer finally gave up, so I am
trying to figure out what would be suitable for the needs of
the natural history section here at the museum but
especially the entomology department –micro-Hymenoptera and
Diptera predominantly. I am also hoping to be able to afford
something fully automated, but with the usual museum limits
on budgets. Does anyone have anything good or bad to say
about a fully automated CPD you’re using? Recommendations?
ballpark pricing? perfect for an entomology collection…!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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Since we dehydrate thousands of insects every year, I can offer two
things: (1) We have an automated unit, a Tousimis Autosamdri, that
has worked *reasonably* well for 12 years now. I don't think they
still offer the same unit, and while it's only broken down twice,
the repairs took a long time. It does require a constant supply of
large CO2 cylinders, and we had to drill a hole in our outer wall
for the vent. (2) We ALSO use chemical CPD processing, with HMDS
(hexamethyldisilazane), and as alternatives go, the pros and cons of
HMDS are noteworthy: the chemical is fairly expensive, and it takes
a few hours and a fume hood to do it properly, BUT (a) one can do a
larger total number of specimens per unit time if the technician has
a lot of samples lined up and ready to go, and is willing to spend
three hours not doing anything else (b) one can process larger
volumes of specimens, and larger actual specimens, than can fit
inside the tiny CPD chamber (for example, you can dehydrate
mantises, walking sticks, katydids, etc.)<br>
<br>
For us, then, a lot depends on who we have doing the processing, and
the number of samples being processed; for full-time staff, or for
single samples, we'll use the CPD unit so we can put it in the
machine and forget it. For hourly workers or large numbers of
samples, we use the HMDS. BTW, an anecdotal observation we've heard
and have not yet heard refuted, is that HMDS-treated specimens are
actively avoided by dermestid larvae, and therefore potentially
immune to being consumed.<br>
<br>
Peace,<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Doug Yanega Dept. of Entomology Entomology Research Museum
Univ. of California, Riverside, CA 92521-0314 skype: dyanega
phone: (951) 827-4315 (disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's)
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://cache.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html">http://cache.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html</a>
"There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82</pre>
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