Before they can rest in the American Museum of Natural History ’s inquiry appeal , bee specimen must be decently prepped and preserve . The outgrowth of " adorn " the bees is performed by Curatorial Assistant Melody Doering , who ensures that their most important anatomical features are readily seeable .
bee collected in the wild are first lay in in alcohol but are presented juiceless in the collection . So , as at any effective salon visit , the process start up with a wash drawing and a blow out .
A individual drop-off of soap is impart to a bantam ampul of water to create the cleaning answer . After the bee is place in the bath , Doering gives the whole thing a few shakes to wash the alcohol off each of its delicate hairsbreadth .
Once wash , the tomentum need to be dry . A quick pat down absent any supererogatory water and then the bee is placed in front of an air heart for a delicate black eye dry .
It appear a small turn like they ’re flying :
Before it can be permanently pinned into the specimen box , Doering gives the bee a thorough brush to make certain every teeny tiny haircloth is perfectly in berth .
And then it ’s ready to go ! Check out more behind - the - scenes depend at AMNH in their entanglement seriesShelf Life .
All gifs and images courtesy of theAmerican Museum of Natural History .
