[NHCOLL-L:2590] Re: Dermestid Infestation

[Gretchen Anderson]

Hi Carrie,

I am the conservator at the Science Museum of Minnesota. Several thoughts 
and questions come to mind.

You call it a "possible" dermestid infestation. Have you monitored to 
determine if it is active or not? You might want to proceed with a good 
cleaning of the areas affected, then monitor those areas. This will allow 
you to determine if it is active and where the source of is. Be sure to 
clean under and behind the infested areas and look at adjacent areas that 
might be the source. If you determine that it is not active then apply the 
IPM principles of good housekeeping and ongoing monitoring to keep on top 
of the problem.

Are you dealing with sealed or enclosed dioramas? Or is there a way to 
enclose the exhibit components so that you could do anoxic treatment on 
them?  They would have to be very tightly sealed. After treatment you would 
have follow IPM procedures very closely and make sure that all infested 
areas are well cleaned and monitored for further activity.

Gretchen Anderson
Conservator
Science Museum of Minnesota
ganderson at smm.org
www.smm.org




At 11:00 AM 3/16/2005, Tim Gamble wrote:
>I am posting this for a friend.  Please reply on-list for everyone's
>benefit and I will forward the replies to Carrie.  Thanks!  ----Tim
>Gamble
>
>
>Hi everyone. I'm the Collections Manager for The Schiele Museum in
>Gastonia, NC. We are facing a possible active dermestid infestation
>in several of our permanent exhibits. We have an IPM program but
>there was no one in Collections to implement it. The infested areas
>contain intricate exhibit components as well as large mounts which
>keep us from freezing the specimens. The decision has been made to
>close off the affected areas and fumigate with a pyrethrin. Has
>anyone had any experience with this botanical pesticide? Has anyone
>faced a similar situation and if so, what did you do? Thanks for any
>help y'all can give me.
>
>Carrie
>
>
>
>
>--
>Tim Gamble
>
>Charlotte, NC
>
>Owner/Moderator of the Yahoo group Natural History at
>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/naturalhistorygroup
>
>
>
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