pupae storage

[chattybug101]

i was wondering,would my eyed hawk moth and emperor moth pupae hatch to early because:

sometimes i take them out of the fridge to check if everything is ok.they might warm up?

theyre in a fridge at 4 degrees.is this to high?

im scared they might get attacked in the shed or outside,
theyll die in the freezer,what should i do?
is 4 degrees cold enough?
ive experienced early hatches.its not good!!!!!!!!

[Matt Smith]

They wont hatch early if you have a quick look and put them back but a fridge is not an ideal place, it lacks humidity and you run the risk of drying out the pupae.

Keep the hawk moth buried in slightly moist peat or similar in the shed untill mid-April at least, then place them on the surface of the substrate but keep a lid on the box to stop dessication. Check once or twice a week untill you can see/feel they are starting to form up inside, then bring them inside in a cage.

[naturegirl]

Alternatively, you could just bury them underground outside and let nature take it's course.....

Matt is absolutely right in humidity levels etc.

As long as you bury them deep enough for them to have their pupal cases held strongly enough for them to pull free from them, I would guess about 6 inches then they would be perfectly alright outside.

Nature is there for a reason....

Naturegirl