Help - molding collection in the tropics

[Richard Worth]

John,
Short of adding a room air conditioner, I would think the best bet 
would be a combination of desiccant, PDB and weather strip.  Or some 
one might donate a few airtight Bioquip-type drawers with really 
tight lids and maybe a silicone seal around the glass for extra 
security.  The glass lids would still be display-able (a word??).  I 
would put any infested collection in a freezer first to kill whatever 
possible before putting into new, clean boxes (yeah, I 
know...freezer?..in the tropics??)  But then use the PDB and 
dessicant anyway.
Best of luck,  Rich

>I was just at a field station in Belize which has a nice "butterfly 
>display" with data in their classroom (~200 specimens).  But it has 
>two major problems that will ultimately destroy it - so I'm looking 
>for ideas about how to at least prolong its life by several years.
>
>It is housed in a less than air-tight display case with a hinged 
>glass lid - it probably has about the same surface area as 5 Cornell 
>drawers.
>
>Problem one - psocids are eating it alive - I though I would just 
>send a couple of no-pest strips and that should wipe out the extra 
>insects.. no?  I also though I would send some adhesive weather 
>stripping down, so that maybe they could get a seal in place.
>
>Problem two - mold.  Because of the humidity (the station is in a 
>small clearing in premontane rainforest), mold is hitting the 
>collection pretty hard.  Two things come to mind.  I could send some 
>desiccant, but they would have to constantly change and dry it out 
>(this is a really damp place).  And, if could send something that 
>would at least kill the current batch of mold, that would help a lot 
>- but I have no idea what that something might be.
>
>Any ideas or alternate solutions???
>
>Champion of lost causes,
>John
>_________________
>John Shuey
>Director of Conservation Science
>Indiana Office of The Nature Conservancy
>
>

Richard A. Worth
Oregon Department of Agriculture
Plant Division
rworth at oda.state.or.us
(503) 986-6461
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