We didnt always have nice labs for caterpillars. We started with big wooden cages but soon realized they were the worst choice for us. We moved to an indoor lab but with a ground cover floor (woven plastic for nurseries). That also didnt work. By 2004, wed built a custom designed lab. We used to use small plastic containers to stick cuttings into to keep them fresh. Before long, we moved to wet paper towels and foil. Too many would drown. Although we could use salt to save some of them, for some it was too late. A lab with walls of greenboard (water resistant sheetrock), a drain in the middle of the floor, and good paint meant that we could literally spray down the walls with bleach water and rinse the room with a water hose a couple of times a year. Everyday the room tables and floors are wiped down or mopped with bleach water.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Sep 2014 22:00:00 +0000