How to Send Us an Insect or Tick

Place the insect in a vial either with or without alcohol as soon as possible.  Use alcohol for soft-bodied insects (like insect larvae or grubs), beetles, ants and ticks.   If you do not use alcohol, you can stick the vial with the insect in the freezer. This will kill most insects.  To ship an insect in a vial without alcohol, place some soft tissue paper in the vial with the insect to cushion the effects of shipping.  Flat envelopes without special packing for insects are usually rolled in the US Postal Service processing and the result is a flattened specimen which is impossible to identify.  

Please include a label with your specimen along with information.  Write a who, what, when, where, and why note.  Who collected it?  What was the problem?  When was it collected?  Where was it collected and why was it collected? 

Make sure that your name, address (or email) and phone number are included so that we can get back to you.

If you have access to a digital camera that can take close up photos, you may email us a photo of your insect and we will try to identify it.  However, because differences between species of insects can be quite subtle, it would still make sense to collect the specimen.   If you place delicate specimens (moths or butterflies) in a container in the refrigerator (not the freezer), they can be released later it desired.

Send the specimens to:

Jon Turmel
Vermont Agency of Agriculture Laboratory
103 South Main Street/ State Complex
Waterbury, VT  05676-0101
Telephone:  802-241-3545
Jon.Turmel@state.vt.us