Christopher, It has been a long time since I dealt with the beasties at Texas Tech, but a few things still come to mind. I know for a fact that dermestids are offended by being referred to as "nasty buggers", so watch out. Dermestids are evolved to consume dead animal matter, and will do so with gusto. I think they eat everything but bone. They are direct competitors with fly maggots. If I remember correctly, it is the larva form that does the eating. The beetle form does not eat anything, but is prone to spreading eggs to new food sources. For all you curious grad students out there, road kill is a sure source of fresh dermestids, if you are looking to do any studies or tests. A good IPM program is your best bet for preventing their entrance. Biological specimens should be carefully checked before adding them to the collection, with a suitable quarrantine time, just as with any other materials. Traps help with the beetle form, and Timothy is right about the freezing. After the bugs are dead, the object should be cleaned and the dead critters removed if possible. If you do find them in existing collections you would need to immediately identify the source, quarrantine/treat it, and watch carefully for other infestations. If the resources were there, you could treat all your biological specimens to be safe. I do not remember chemicals being of much use, as they are as toxic to you as to the bugs, in addition to being generally bad for the objects. And now, for lunch... Mark Janzen Registrar/Collections Manager Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection Wichita State University (316)978-5850 C Reeves <[log in to unmask] R.COM> To Sent by: Museum [log in to unmask] discussion list cc <[log in to unmask] SE.LSOFT.COM> Subject Nasty little buggers! I mean bugs... don't mean to offend!!! 03/11/2005 08:57 AM Please respond to Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask] SE.LSOFT.COM> We've been discussing bats and bugs and so forth which really wigs me out... I'm a guy that can't stand bugs... bats no prob.. just mice with wings. I'm actually a history major with a concentration in forensics and I've worked too closely with dermestids than I've ever wanted. My questions are as follows: 1) What kind of collections do dermestids infest? I can automatically assume they get into biological exhibits (stuffed aminals (as my daughter says), but what else? 2) Are there preventative measures one could take to avoid infestations? 3) How do you get rid of the voracious little creatures if you do find them amongst your stuff? Please note, I do not have an infestation, so this is not a priority one situation. I'm a curious student. On that note, on behalf of all the students on the list (and I'm quite comfortable doing so), I would like to thank all the professionals and others employed in the field for taking time to help, guide, correct, and listen to those of us striving to be where you are. It gives us hope. Christopher Reeves --- As for the bats and squirrels... don't they make some sort of gadget that clicks or beeps to ward off fuzzy neighbors? ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).