That's a good point about not having too much in a single box.  The more dense an object(s), the longer it will take to reach freezing.  I would also agree about repeating the treatment.  I believe it's the case that some bug larvae can survive freezing.  If you freeze for a week, you'll kill all the live bugs. Then if you leave it out for a week, the eggs should hatch, and you can put it back in for a week to kill the new ones.
We also had much debate over the thickness of plastic to use, and the method for sealing the bags. The thicker the bag, the better chance of keeping any condensation out.  But it's easier to get the air out of thinner mil bags.  As for sealing the bags, we settled on air-tight tape ordered from Chiswick, instead of using a heat sealer.  ...We were hesitant to use high heat near objects, although that would have made the better seal.
I heard that organic items should not be frozen, or that is what one conservator told me, at least.  She said that feezing will take moisture out of the object, which could permanently affect its color, if dyed, and/or overall integrity.
Ellen J. Holdorf
Asst. Registrar
Dallas Museum of Art

> Hi,
>
> I would add a couple of points--
>
> We always cleaned the items before sealing them in the bags.
>
> Make sure that you don't have so much in a bag or in the box that would keep all the items from freezing quickly. You don't want the items on the inside to be shielded from the cold.
>
> We removed the items from the freezer, let them rest for several days and then repeated the treatment.
>
> Finally, be sure to clean the items again once the freezing treatment is complete.
>
> K. Child
>
> On Thu, 23 August 2001, Jarrod Diels-Roll wrote:
>
> >
> > Hello.  I was hoping to get feedback from those of you who have experienced
> > freezing textile collections to kill pests.
> >
> > A few months ago we discovered live carpet beetles (and plenty of dead ones)
> > in our costume/clothing collection (95% dresses, mostly from late 19th c.,
> > mostly silk or cotton) .  Our pest control people need us to clean
> > everything out of our three infested, small textile/costume storage rooms so
> > that they can do a "crack and crevice" treatment.  In the meantime, we plan
> > on freezing our costume collection to kill the pests.  This is our plan:
> >
> > --place each item in a thick poly bag, making sure to pad the shoulders and
> > folds with acid free tissue.  Try to get out all of the air without
> > squishing the textile.  Seal bag.
> >
> > --place a few bags in a box; seal, label, and inventory the box.
> >
> > --place box in freezer for two weeks to kill the pests (the local grocery
> > store is donating space in their huge freezer which maintains a constant
> > temp way below freezing).  We will have about 25 boxes of textiles to
> > freeze.
> >
> > --remove box after two weeks and keep in cool room until we place the
> > textiles back in the pest-free storage rooms.
> >
> > These are my basic questions:
> >
> > --should I freeze the textiles for two weeks?  what is the minimum amount of
> > time to freeze pests so they die?
> >
> > --should I take special precaution with freezing costumes made of certain
> > materials?
> >
> > --is there a rust danger when freezing and thawing costumes that contain
> > metal elements (like buttons, clasps, etc.)?
> >
> > --anything else I should know or be aware of before implementing my plan?
> >
> > Sincerely,
> >
> > Jarrod Diels-Roll
> > Curator
> > Pejepscot Historical Museums
> > 159 Park Row
> > Brunswick, ME 04011
> > 207-729-6606
> > 207-729-6012 (fax)

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