I would not reccomend using this technique of bagging and heating an 
object for pest erardication - especially for an organic composite 
object (rocks might be ok) unless you enjoy cooked moose.

Organic materials are especially reactive to sudden changes in 
termperature and relative humidity. using the technique that was 
described would pull moisutre out of the object as it heated and then 
possibly condensate that water vapor along the sides of the plastic as 
liquid water. The organic materials would first shrink and then swell 
and any non-organic components (such as plaster or metal) would not, 
creating stresses where they are joined. You also might have fur 
shedding and other nasty surprises in store if you try this.

Humidity is also a big concern when contemplating freezing an artifact 
and you should always have a precise description of the condition of 
any object and any potential issues based on a professional examination 
before using any sort of temnperature technique for pest eradication.

Also, as many people know, there is a long history of toxins such as 
arsenic used on natural history specimens and mounts as well as on many 
native american artifacts - you it behooves anyone working with these 
types of collections to use all due caution in handling them - always 
assume a toxin is present unless proved otherwise.

Cheers!
Dave

David Harvey
Conservator
Los Angeles, California USA

-----Original Message-----
From: Yearous, Jenny Dee <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent:         Thu, 7 Apr 2005 08:08:47 -0500
Subject: Re: Insect eradication on large artefacts

     Hi Tim, maybe someone else out there knows the technique better 
than I
do, but I remember at pest workshop they talked about using heat as a
pest eradication technique. Items are placed in plastic and actually
left outside (in a secure place) on a hot sunny day. The temps inside
the plastic get so hot you kill off the pests without hurting your
artifacts. This is especially useful when you have composite artifacts
like animal mounts. I also remember something about a small fan being
used to help with the air circulation. Please do some more research on
this before attempting but at least this is another less expensive
alternative to freezing. And now with the sunny summer weather fast
approaching you can use mother nature to aid you.
Good Luck
Jenny Yearous
Curator of Collections Management
State Historical Society of North Dakota

On Apr 5, 2005, at 3:36 PM, Timothy McShane wrote:

> Hi all;
>
> We've got some large pieces (taxidermed animal heads, including a
> whoppin' big elk) that are/may be infested.  We usually freeze suspect

> pieces, but these ones are too large to fit in our chest freezer.
> None of the commercial freezers in town want anything to do with bugs
> coming in their facilities, which all store food items.  There are no
> freezer trucks available in town (we're waiting on a quote to rent one

> from 2
> 1/2 hours down the highway)--I suspect that cost may be prohibitive,
> and I understand they may not be cold enough to do what we want them
> to anyway.
>
> I've looked into treating these pieces with chemicals, but I'd rather
> stay away from stuff with names like chlorpyritos, diazinon or
> pyrethrins....
>
> So, rather than kicking myself for not having been on the ball to take

> advantage of some days of our cold Canadian winter just passed, does
> anyone have suggestions for non-chemical means of eradicating our
> unwelcome residents?
>
> Thanks,
>
>

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