Hi, I need to know where or how I can purchase a very small quantity of KCN. Don't worry, I don't want to use it to kill anyone despite that being a very popular means on T.V. shows.

 

As far as I've seen this is labeled as a "restricted chemical" with most firms who sell it (no suprise there, as it's toxic) and I don't want to jump through a bunch of hoops, and the smallest quantities that I could find being sold where $500+. I even tried looking on Ebay, but no luck. Any help would be appreciated.

$500 for How many Drums???

 

I have to ask, What do you want it for anyway, I have a container of it in the Lab (don`t bother asking me for any), and I hardly ever use it.

 

so what do you want with it?

I get a bit how shall we say "Curious" when someones 1`st post is asking for such materials

Well I guess my previous post was only a half truth.

 

As you probably know it's sometimes used as a killing agent in collection jars, and there are some insects I would like to "collect" for a woman I know who teaches horticulture. I asked her if she would like some easily viewable specimens of commonly found garden bugs instead of having to roam around campus or look at flat pictures, and she said she would.

 

With the KCN killing the bugs in just a few seconds it will make the process of placement within the jars a little easier. However I thought this stuff would be a little easier and cheaper to get.

 

EDIT: Well I just did a touble take at the page I was looking at for purchase (http://www.sciencelab.com) and I think I was looking at the wrong kind of Potassium Cyanide, there is a much cheaper form and quantity for around $60.

 

But it's still restricted and I still consider $60 expensive, so I'll probably just have to find something else or nothing at all.

What about all the pyrethrine-based insecticides? They kill bugs fast, for the insects, these things are the equivalent of our nerve gasses. Raid-spray contain it, and there are bottles with more concentrated solutions of these insecticides readily available in plant shops, maybe that does the trick?

Not to mention a lot less hazardous for mammals.

Diethyl ether or Chloroform on a cotton ball inside the jar is the typical way killing jars are done.

 

there is Much less distress on the bug, and it`s not likely to affect the coloring as KCN can do, so you get a nicer specimen.

IIRC cherry laurel leaves have been used in the past to generate enough HCN to kill bugs for this sort of thing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_laurel

I guess there are similar cyanogenic plants where you are.

When I was collecting bugs, I just used alcohol or formaldehyde to kill them. Cheap, easy to get, and not too toxic. You just have to leave them there long enough to kill them, or you might get them waking up and moving around after you pinned them into a good drying position. Anyhow, pinning them into position properly is more important than how you kill them IMO.

Thank you for all the suggestions to those who replied, I'll be trying a few of these to see which works best.