A question for those who live in tropics

[Annarobertson1947]

So, im going to Kenya, and i want to take a small collection with me of butterflies.
In an airtight glass topped case,sealed tight.
Will this suffice so humidity doesn't destroy?

[adamcotton]

It should be fine at least for a few months, probably longer. Humidity can only gradually enter a sealed wooden box unless you open it there.

Adam.

[Annarobertson1947]

It should be fine at least for a few months, probably longer. Humidity can only gradually enter a sealed wooden box unless you open it there.

Adam.

Thanks Adam, its going to not opened ,a back opening glass fronted display case ,glass is sealed as is back

[vabrou]

Annarobertson1947
Your question doesn't require an answer from someone who lives in the tropics. I'm guessing what you want answers from someone living in areas of high or constantly high humidity, or high annual rainfall. I live in SE, Louisiana, USA, and here our humidity is nearly always 88-100%, and I am in one of the top three locations in the USA for high amounts of annual rainfall. Follow Adam's advice and never expose your dried specimens to outdoor humidity even for a few minutes.

But, even more important than humidity is your glass top case, and the serious destruction of your specimens because of the sun's ultraviolet degradation of all animate items. E.g. I have been a consultant several times over the past decades for museums and major large public insect displays. One, here in New Orleans did not follow my advice regarding exposure to uv light via windows of the buildings holding the insect displays, nor the problems caused by using high intensity, high wattage lamps in the display areas used by visitors. Yet, two years later 99% of all of the entire displays holding numerous thousands of insect specimens were devoid of any colors whatsoever, and ALL of the entire displayed insects were now permanently snow white (destroyed).

My personal research collection here 800+ glass top Cornell-size storage drawers which are stored in closed-door steel and wooden cabinets. This way, the specimens remain always in 100% darkness, except for the brief periods when specimens actually need to be exposed and viewed. And for these same reasons, is why all major museums worldwide long term store their once living materials in closed door cabinets.

Go ahead and use your display case, but consider encapsulating it in layers of plastic wrap or large zip-lock bags, and keep the specimens in the dark except when they need to be viewed indoors. High humidity will cause molds and fungi to grow upon any animate an inanimate objects.

While on this subject,let me toot my horn, here is one of my self-designed and self-constructed specimen drawers. I have designed and constructed over 600 of these over the past half century for my own needs. There are drawers available designed using aluminum instead of wood, using rubber gaskets, even nitrogen and other inert gasses filled drawers for storage of those irreplaceable one's of a kind, or now extinct specimens.

No, I never use space-wasting unit trays in my drawers. I'm self-funded and not that wealthy.

[Annarobertson1947]

Annarobertson1947
Your question doesn't require an answer from someone who lives in the tropics. I'm guessing what you want answers from someone living in areas of high or constantly high humidity, or high annual rainfall. I live in SE, Louisiana, USA, and here our humidity is nearly always 88-100%, and I am in one of the top three locations in the USA for high amounts of annual rainfall. Follow Adam's advice and never expose your dried specimens to outdoor humidity even for a few minutes.

But, even more important than humidity is your glass top case, and the serious destruction of your specimens because of the sun's ultraviolet degradation of all animate items. E.g. I have been a consultant several times over the past decades for museums and major large public insect displays. One, here in New Orleans did not follow my advice regarding exposure to uv light via windows of the buildings holding the insect displays, nor the problems caused by using high intensity, high wattage lamps in the display areas used by visitors. Yet, two years later 99% of all of the entire displays holding numerous thousands of insect specimens were devoid of any colors whatsoever, and ALL of the entire displayed insects were now permanently snow white (destroyed).

My personal research collection here 800+ glass top Cornell-size storage drawers which are stored in closed-door steel and wooden cabinets. This way, the specimens remain always in 100% darkness, except for the brief periods when specimens actually need to be exposed and viewed. And for these same reasons, is why all major museums worldwide long term store their once living materials in closed door cabinets.

Go ahead and use your display case, but consider encapsulating it in layers of plastic wrap or large zip-lock bags, and keep the specimens in the dark except when they need to be viewed indoors. High humidity will cause molds and fungi to grow upon any animate an inanimate objects.

While on this subject,let me toot my horn, here is one of my self-designed and self-constructed specimen drawers. I have designed and constructed over 600 of these over the past half century for my own needs. There are drawers available designed using aluminum instead of wood, using rubber gaskets, even nitrogen and other inert gasses filled drawers for storage of those irreplaceable one's of a kind, or now extinct specimens.

No, I never use space-wasting unit trays in my drawers. I'm self-funded and not that wealthy.

I do get your line of thought, agree fully.
I dont havecglass top as display, but to see specimens without taking out of secure case.
Im not one to pull specimen out to inspect up close.