[NHCOLL-L:205] Re:dog flea collars

[Lynn Kimsey]

Regarding using pieces of dog flea collar to control pests:

We tried this as a temporary stop gap measure until we could
come up with something better. Don't bother. It might work for
a while, but the problem with this material, or with using pieces of
no-pest strips, is that you cannot ever tell when they are no longer
active. The toxicity of these compounds in this small scale use
is not an issue. Lets face it nearly anything that will kill insects is
going to be somewhat toxic, but these compounds have low 
mammalian toxicity when used properly.

We found that the best way to control pests is hygiene.  Make sure
that the display boxes have snug, tight fitting lids. Then before any
specimen is placed in the display box, the specimen should either be
frozen for a  week or fumigated in a special container, cabinet or
whatever. Actually, the display box could easily be dropped in a freezer
if its not too large. In my experience nearly all insect problems in
collections come from specimens already infested being introduced into
collections or displays. This is true for beetle pests, it may not be true of
booklice because of their tiny size and amazing ability to penetrate the
smallest cracks. However, booklice are very sensitive to low humidity,
and can be controlled by dropping the ambient humidity to or below 30%.  

Lynn S Kimsey
Bohart Museum of Entomology
University of California
Davis, CA 95616
USA

At 12:40 PM 7/26/99 +1000, you wrote:
>Dear Robert
>Re your response to Margaret Perkins and use of dog flea collars.
>"I may have an alternative direction for you to use in your drawers. 
> We have over the last decade been running an Odonata survey of the 
>state using a couple of dozen plus volunteers.  These volunteers would 
>collect dragonflies and label them with proper data, but later 
>transport them to me for identification etc.  Sometimes they would 
>have them for 6 months or more.  We did not want to issue them and 
>powerful pesticide, but did not want dermestids etc. to destroy the 
>collections either.  We have suggested that they use dog flea collars. 
> These appear to repel most pests at least for limited time periods. 
> We cut them into short stripes.................................  One 
>would "hope" that if it is safe to have them on your dog in your 
>house, that inside an enclosed case they should be safe!  Anyone with 
>more chemistry background than I have know any more about this?
> I am not able to provide you with specific chemical information but 
>background reading I have followed up on namely A-Z of chemicals in 
>the home 3rd edition published by the Total Environment Centre and 
>Australian Consumers' Association 1996, it states that 'treatments 
>such as flea collars containing dichlorvos can be quite toxic and 
>dangerous, since dichlorvos evaporates fast enough to cause chronic 
>exposure for the pet and the environment...Diazinon another 
>organophosphate has also been used in flea collars and rinses'.  It 
>would be my suggestion that flea collars be used cautiously and with 
>safety precautions until you have further information from the 
>manufacturer that they do not contain potentially dangerous 
>chemicals.
>I hope this information will be of use
>Best wishes
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