A guy working on bumble bees in my lab used a very simple method: he just shredded up laurel leaves (they are poisonous - releases cyanide in small quantities, I think), put them under a cottonwool plug in a specimen tube and popped the bee in on top, then stoppered the tube. You leave them in there for some time - they don't go stiff or brittle and keep their colour - then they can be pinned out. Pam Munn _____________________________________________________________________________ | E-mail : [log in to unmask] | Mail: IBRA, | | Phone : +44 222 372409 | 18, North Road, | | Fax : +44 222 665522 | Cardiff, | |---------------------------------------| South Glamorgan | | Please state if the message is for | CF1 3DY | | someone else within IBRA | United Kingdom | |_______________________________________|___________________________________|