Fumigants

[Jonathan at spamsucks.com]

Those damned dermestids love to much on my specimens too -  and it's
usually the rare/irreplaceable/exceptional ones! Nothing beats PDB
(paradichlorobenzene) for getting rid of these as well as Carpet
beetles (another long time foe!) PDB can be gotten at any WalMart,
DrugFair, Kmart, etc., etc. I prefer the "crystal" or "moth ice" type,
since it really is in lump form and can easily be placed with tweezers
under the abdomens of affected specimens. I also dose each affected
specimen with Component Cooler Spray before placing the PDB under it
to immediately destroy any ova and/or larvae that may be in the body
of the specimen (I also use this substance to dispatch specimens in
the field;  it is an ozone-safe HCFC-based cryogen). It is available
at Radio Shack or any good electronics hobby shop. I have been using
it for years for both pest control and to kill specimens in the field;
only now are others beginning to "catch on" to this excellent product.
I highly recommend it. There is no substitute for vigilance in
regularly inspecting one's collection for any frass under the bodies
of specimens, and early detection is the best means of control. I also
line the drawers with a layer of PDB under the pinning boards, so that
the fumes in a closed cabinet will be chokingly strong - this will
assure that no pests will enter or survive, as long as the PDB is
present (it sublimes and so must be periodically replenished). Just
don't breathe the fumes if you can avoid it; they are known to cause
health problems. Hope this helps.


-Jonathan

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