I'm posting this answer to Terry Vidal's fumigation question to the list
as a whole because I think several people have this problem, judging from
my correspondence. Q: How do you fumigate big dead things? A: What is
your problem? I'm constantly surprised by the number of people who do
routine or "insurance" fumigation without checking to see if it is
needed. So my first recommendation would be to set up a pest monitoring
program and keep it going. First, see what you have and don't have.
(And if it's a large dead thing with NO pest problems, ask yourself why
not. Too often this is trouble, too, in the form of old arsenical or
mercuric compounds that make the specimen dangerous to people. You may
have to test for these and isolate the specimen from casual contact.)
 
The nature of your pest, the infested material, your training and all
applicable laws will determine what to do next. Can you opt for freezing
rather than fumigation? Fumigation is a harsh chemical treatment.
Evidence is mounting to prove that very few substances have no damaging
effect to the specimen itself or to the people working with the
collection. There are specific guidelines for freezing, and not all
natural history material can be frozen (e.g. teeth in some taxidermy
mounts, though these may be fake), but, on the
whole, it's a better immediate solution. It doesn't provide any residual
protection: you would have to do that by storage and monitoring.
 
Don't use DDVP (=Vapona or No-Pest Strips). See Steve Williams' trilogy of
articles in Curator a couple of years ago if you want to know why not.
Don't use PDB; not if you value several of your internal organs. I'd
seriously recommend that you monitor, stop the access of pests at the
source, kill the live ones by correct freezing, and isolate the material
so it doesn't get re-infested. Dependence on fumigants appears to have
resulted in resistant pests, sick people, and damaged specimens. Good luck.
 
Sally Shelton
Collections Conservation Specialist
San Diego Natural History Museum