[NHCOLL-L:899] mounted specimen preservation

[Dennis Paulson]

Is there anyone who would be willing to respond to this gentleman?  Thanks.

>>    I am a retired prof who has just learned from my successor that "A
>>student here will be contacting you sometime soon about bird mounts at
>>the Science Center and keeping them pest-free."  (The Science Center is
>>an independently operated non-profit educational center downtown.)  To
>>my knowledge, the mounts in question are free-standing, or in exhibit
>>cases that are not hermetically sealed.
>>    My successor and I, as well as the Science Center would like
>>whatever info any of you have on successful maintenance and preservation
>>of both study skins and mounts, both in skin cases and in more
>>vulnerable open situations.  I was brought up, at Ann Arbor, on an
>>unhealthy mixture of carbon tet and carbon disulfide as a fumigant, and
>>PDB as a repellent, but understand these are now taboo.  All of us would
>>be happy to have any advice or references from those of you who know how
>>this problem is handled these days.
>>    About three decades ago, I and family visited Lower Fort Gary (sp?),
>>a restored fort/slash trading post north of Winnipeg.  They had an
>>upstairs room with hundreds of beaver, lynx, and other skins hanging
>>from the rafters.  There was no odor nor sign of dermestid damage.  I
>>asked an attendant how they kept these pest-free, but she had no idea.
>>Unfortunately, I never followed through on it.
>>    Thanks for any help you can provide.
>>Evan B. Hazard, Ph.D.
>>Professor Emeritus of Biology
>>Bemidji State University
>>1500 Birchmont NE
>>eehazard at paulbunyan.net
>>   P.S.  Please send cc. of any e-mail to my successor,=20
>>Dr. Elizabeth Rave
>>Associate Professor of Biology
>>Bemidji State University
>>(218) 755-2785
>>EHRave at bemidjistate.edu

Dennis Paulson, Director                           phone 253-879-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History                 fax 253-879-3352
University of Puget Sound                       e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416
http://www.ups.edu/biology/museum/museum.html