# Putting insects to sleep (not killing them) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 10, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-insects-to-sleep-not-killing-them/542665 "2010-06-10T15:55:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-insects-to-sleep-not-killing-them/542665/1 "2010-06-10T15:55:50Z")
I’ve seen on certain channels like Discovery, entomologists using some gas to knock out spiders (which I know spiders aren’t really insects). I think it was simply Carbon Dioxide, but I can’t be sure, anyway, is there something that will knock out most insects for a while? Specifically crickets, if it matters? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-insects-to-sleep-not-killing-them/542665/2 "2010-06-10T16:02:03Z")
sing them a lullaby, ‘itsy bitsy spider’ might work for them but scare prey species. carbon dioxide to used to kill or smaller doses to put to sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-insects-to-sleep-not-killing-them/542665/3 "2010-06-10T16:05:35Z")
We always used ether to knock out the fruit flies. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-insects-to-sleep-not-killing-them/542665/4 "2010-06-10T16:12:37Z")
Ahh, okay, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-insects-to-sleep-not-killing-them/542665/5 "2010-06-10T16:56:51Z")
We use carbon dioxide in the lab to knock out fruit flies. It doesn’t put them to sleep, but it does temporarily and reversibly paralyze their muscles. It’s easier than ether, with which you need to be careful about the dose. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-insects-to-sleep-not-killing-them/542665/6 "2010-06-10T17:19:04Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > We always used ether to knock out the fruit flies. How do you get the cloth over their mouth and nose? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-insects-to-sleep-not-killing-them/542665/7 "2010-06-10T21:48:47Z")
If the insects are already in a container of some sort, putting them in the fridge for a few minutes often shuts them down for a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-insects-to-sleep-not-killing-them/542665/8 "2010-06-10T22:01:37Z")
In an AP Bio lab in high school, we had to knock our fruit flies out. We’d dip a bristle in something, tap the flies down to the bottom of their tube, then open the lid/stick the bristle in/replace the lid before they could fly/crawl back up. Not 100% sure what the substance was, but I think it may have been ether.