Preserve a B in 2D

August 4, 2023 3:15 PM

If I found a poor dead bee and wanted to preserve it like pressing a flower, is that doable or madness? I've seen all the ways to preserve it in three dimensions, but would like it flat. I suspect the chiten would crush but perhaps there are methods to soften and then squish?
posted by Iteki to Grab Bag (8 answers total)

I just don't think you can do this. It's a three dimensional object, and one that was alive. If you crush it flat the volume will convert to flat area and it'll look totally different - basically terrible.
You might be able to dry it - which it will do naturally - and then press it very slowly, over a few days of weeks, but I wouldn't count on this working either.
If I want to preserve something small and fragile - insects, flowers, crabs - I set them i resin. It's pretty easy to do and the result is very nice.
posted by AugustusCrunch at 4:08 PM on August 4, 2023 [3 favorites]

I've seen all the ways to preserve it in three dimensions, but would like it flat.

Take a photo? Paint / draw a picture?
posted by rpophessagr at 5:11 PM on August 4, 2023 [1 favorite]

Oh, fascinating idea! hm, what would soften the chitin and allow for this? Vinegar? Whatever is the chemical in Nair et al.? I happen to know that Magic Shave dissolves keratin; maybe chitin, too? Make a weak solution of that and water, soak the bee briefly, do a test smoosh? Or no, first try it on a first-draft lesser insect like a dead roach or something to test the basic premise and if it works at all and preserves the basic form and color scheme, then if it works, do a series of brief soaks on second- and third-draft insects to see how long to immerse the bee.
posted by Don Pepino at 5:24 PM on August 4, 2023 [1 favorite]

Oh I am into this idea. I've stepped on a enough dead dry bugs to know they crumble into dust, so you may want to coat it in something before attempting to flatten it. Maybe some clear acrylic medium? It's flexible when dry, but I'd flatten it when wet between wax paper under books to dry. I've saved some air dry clay projects that were crumbling that way. Gather up some dead dry flies and test it first!

Every spring I see flattened baby birds on the sidewalks that are paper thin, and they look exactly like baby birds still, so I don't think the 3D to 2D is too much of a hurdle.
posted by Dynex at 5:55 PM on August 4, 2023

Find out how to preserve and then mount in a tiny shadow box?
posted by toodleydoodley at 6:09 PM on August 4, 2023

Empress of Dirt This cool website has instructions for making beeswax pressed flowers. Honey or beeswax would be good materials to begin with to press the bee. Good luck, sounds like a really interesting project.
posted by effluvia at 7:33 PM on August 4, 2023

email an academic in entomology with a courteous ask. maybe your state's ag school?
posted by j_curiouser at 8:13 PM on August 4, 2023 [2 favorites]

You can soften the chitin by placing the bee overnight
in a closed box with a piece of water-soaked cotton wool (don;t loet the cotton touch the bee). At least this is what you do to make a dead insect bendy enough to mount it on a pin, in the usual way. I suspect that something like Nair would just melt the chitin. However, if you just squash it, with or without softening the chitin, you will get a certain amount of the bee's insides coming out. Perhaps if you flatten it between two sheets of blotting paper or similar, like a flower, and then transfer it to a clean paper backing.
posted by Fuchsoid at 1:23 AM on August 5, 2023