Hi, Christopher;
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Tim McShane, Assistant--Cultural History
Medicine Hat Museum and Art Gallery
1302 Bomford Crescent S.W.
Medicine Hat, AB T1A 5E6
(403) 502-8587
[log in to unmask]
>>> 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?
Dermestids will feed on just about anything with a biological
origin--wool, fur, feathers, hair, hides, horn, silk, velvet, felt,
bone, seeds, grains, spices, leather, dead insects, bird nests, cotton,
linen, rayon, jute, etc., etc. When we find them in our collection
(which isn't often or widespread, thank goodness), they seem
particularly fond of our horsehair artefacts.
>>> 2) Are there preventative measures one could take to avoid
infestations?
A good Integrated Pest Management system incorporating regular
housekeeping (sweeping up dust, dead insects, food crumbs, cut flower or
potted plant debris--all of which should be kept far away from your
collections areas), and monitoring insect activity--we use a number of
sticky traps around our facility for monitoring
>>> 3) How do you get rid of the voracious little creatures if you
do
find them amongst your stuff?
Freezing. Wrap the affected artefact in polyethylene sheeting, remove
as much air as possible (we use a vacuum to suck air out of the package)
and seal all edges (air will insulate the inside space and might give
the larvae time to go into hibernation). Place in a freezer that will
go below -28 degrees C--most household chest freezers will do this. Let
the piece stay below -28 degrees C for at least 48 hours, then remove
the piece but do not unwrap it. Let it come to room temp. for 48 hours,
then re-freeze it. This will catch any of the little guys who did get a
chance to prepare for the first wave of cold; they can't come out of
hibernation and then re-enter it in so short a time span.
For identification of insects and info on their life cycles, the Ohio
State University has a great website at
http://ohioline.osu.edu/htdigsearch/search.php
Cheers,
Cheers,
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