I would like to add one general note to this discussion which has not been
mentioned.

They are several methods of erradicating pests these days.  Most of the toxic
methodologies seem to be on the wane with freezing and anoxic (oxygen
deprivation) methods being increasingly employed.

A  fumigation, however accomplished, in no substitute for an environmental
assessment and an integrated pest management programe.  To simply treat an
artifact or object and not study and correct the underlying potential sources
of that infestation does little good.

A proper environmental assessment will include temperature and humidity
conditions, building functions, food sources (such as break areas, trash,
etc.), access routes, and also exterior factors such as adjacent plantings,
overhanging branches, etc.

Integrated pest management plans establish protocols to monitor and eliminate
these potential sources from collections.
These protocols can range from isolating food and trash sources to bagging
and isolating new objects from the general collection until they are
thoroughly checked for signs of infestation.  Monitoring allows you to keep
logs and to quickly identify and source pest problems before they can explode
within a collection of historic structure.

There is absolutely no substitute to opening your eyes wide and examining
your collections and their environments regularly.  Make a check list of
those materials which are most sensitive to different pests and examine them
first.

Always remember - to find and kill a bug, you have to think like a bug!   (I
apologise in advance to my etymological colleages for that one!)

*  Just a modest note from one of those "Conservators".

Dave

David Harvey
Conservator of Metals & Arms
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
P.O. Box 1776
Williamsburg, VA  23187-1776   USA
voice:      804-220-7039
e-mail:   [log in to unmask]