[Nhcoll-l] preventing pest damage to bird eggs

[sam]

[I was wondering if anyone could recommend the best insect pest (or 
otherwise) and mold damage preventatives for a soon to be housed bird 
egg and nest collection?]

Since I wrote this several people have responded but here's my 2c anyway.

[Is paradichlorobenzine still utilized?]

No.

[Can bird eggs be frozen without damage?]

I don't recall any problems resulting from freezing curated eggshells 
(empty eggs).

More:

Double wall entrances to collection area if possible.
Use dehumidifiers to attempt to keep RH stable at a lil under 50%.
Inspect every cabinet regularly (monthly?).
Store eggs in clear plastic boxes on sterile cotton padding.
Some don't think it's a good idea, but consider ultra violet bug zappers.
Monitor with sticky traps.
Don't use solvents, other than water, preferably distilled water for 
cleaning mold off eggs.

Make a drying box for dehydrating washed eggs, a corrugated cardboard 
box with a lil incandescent light bulb to keep the temperature a bit 
higher than ambient. Better yet make a real dehydrating cabinet with a 
lil exhaust fan (good for drying skins too). Filter the intake vent. Use 
acid free open-top paper specimen boxes. If there is a bit of water 
inside the eggshell, get it out by blowing at the hole with an ear 
syringe, or a blowpipe if you have one. Then set in hole-side down on a 
paper towel to let it drain.

Best,
Sam Sumida