The clothing can be put into a freezer. Leave them for 48 hours, remove them from the freezer for 48 hours, and then return them to the freezer for 48 hours.
As for the closet - I'd start by sweeping, with a really good vacume cleaner, every inch of the closet. Then dispose of the sweeper's bag outside of the building. You can fumigate but you will have to have a professional do it, as well as close off the building, not just the closet (I don't know of any commercial cloth moth or carpet beetle pesticide) and be prepared to pay, pay, pay. Contact Insects Limited at 317-846-5444. They are an itegrated pest management company and can supply lures w/ traps for about $100. This can help you monitor for problems in the future.
Also, after freezing, sweep the clothing through a fiberglass windowscreen which has its ends bound with cotton tape (this helps protect the clothing's threads from the sweeper). Be very careful and use the lowest setting on the sweeper.
Lana Nehwart-Kellen
Registrar
Conner Priarie Museum
>>> [log in to unmask] 06/10/03 02:57PM >>>
Hello all,
Sorry to bother the list for a personal, non-museum question (and
please reply off-list so we don't flood Museum-L with off-topic
chatter), but I need some advice from the textile/costume experts out
there. In the past month or so, I have discovered small holes in
several suits/sport coats, slacks, and sweaters in my closet. I assume
that these were caused by moths or some other insects, as all the
damaged items are wool. What should I do to prevent this from
continuing? Do I need to fumigate the closet to rid the other clothes
of possible infestation? I don't know of any reliable source of
information on the matter, so I thought I would turn to "the list."
Thanks.
Wade
--
Wade Lawrence
Assistant Director, Drayton Hall
A National Trust historic site
http://www.draytonhall.org
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