more losses.

They took the kill jars I use in the entomology lab.

They took the feckin' kill jars.
Monetary value = $0.

They were made out of old pickle jars, with sand and plaster in the bottom. And a little shot of ethyl acetate (basically, nail polish remover) to make the Deadly Fumes that send the insects to the Great Beyond.

I can make new ones - it will take maybe 45 minutes' work - but it's the sheer random annoyance. Some of the other items taken - bits and pieces from labs and classrooms - makes it look as though the thief or thieves had disruption of classes as part of their M.O. (I'm sure the MAIN M.O. was "stuff to sell or use in a meth lab" but still).

My only other guess on the jars - because I've commented on this in class - is that they maybe thought the fumes could make them high. (I warn people not to open the jars when we're on the way to the field because the fumes can make people sick. And longer exposure can cause cancer or brain-cell-death).

And you know? If these nutjobs stole the things thinking they can get high off of them, and they wind up killing some of the few pitiful brain cells they have, I don't really care. I know that sound harsh, but seriously: huffing ethyl acetate to get a buzz on is kind of like drinking Sterno.

I dunno. Standard comment: I hope they nail these guys.