First, make sure that they are, indeed, carpet beetle casings (actually cast larval skins). Rodent droppings and cockroach egg cases can be the same size and color. If they are from carpet beetles - and there has been any sort of recent activity - you should also find very fine powder (frass) underneath the objects or on the floor below the furniture. Once you have cleaned the debris, regular inspections are key. You might also want to put out glueboards in appropriate places (along walls and in corners, but not obvious to your visitors) to see what kind of critters get stuck. For ID's many state agriculture extension offices will lend a hand, if you don't have access to your own tame entomologist.

Director, Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, Kendall College

I would be taking the exact same steps you are taking. I don't know of anything else to do until it is determined if the infestation is currently active. And, you are taking steps to determine that by removing the casings (vacuuming) and then frequent inspections to see if more appear. I'd be interested to know if anyone has other ideas too.

Jill K. Harris
Registrar
Virginia Museum of Natural History
1001 Douglas Avenue
Martinsville, VA 24112
276-666-8600 (main)
276-666-8618 (direct)
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----- Original Message -----

From: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">Registrar - Danish Immigrant Museum

To: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]

Sent: Friday, May 30, 2003 12:00 PM

Subject: bug casings.

Ok all, I have a serious problem and need some advice.

I have just recently started working at my museum. The building has been open since '94. and I just discovered what I believe to be carpet beetle casings on numerous objects in the permanent cases and in our period sitting room. Obviously this is BAD but now what do I do. I have only found casings no live bugs. To make matters more difficult I don't think the cases have been opened or the sitting room cleaned and inspected since close to the beginning of the permanent exhibit being set up. (Like many museums we started with volunteer staff and are slowly moving to professionals. I am only the second person with museum training to be hired.) So I don't know how old of casings I am looking at, nor do I have a place to isolate or freeze these items. The best I can do is put the smaller items in an anoxic microenvironment. I am in the process of having the casings removed and the pieces vacuumed. Then I plan to monitor to see if more casings appear. However I am open to any suggestions as to how to proceed.