[Nhcoll-l] Dermestid control in pelts

[Julia Sybalsky]

Hi Trish,
We have found freezing to be a comparatively straightforward, low cost, low toxicity solution to managing pest outbreaks in pelts and hides in our collections. Particularly with a teaching collection that will be handled by students, I would think freezing and anoxia are your best options. For freezing to be effective, it's important that the protocol utilizes appropriate air-tight packing, and a freezer that is adequately cold for a sufficient period of time. Pelts do not need to be packed individually. Our standard protocol is 1 week at -40. In some cases this would be overkill but it allows us to know that we have effectively killed not only the species we know or suspect are present, but also anything that may have gone unnoticed, at all life stages. Museumpests.net<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__Museumpests.net&d=DwIGaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=LpYc_Z_iN1KRw0hheb3x6-8MJUMu482qfHowpGYJqwc&m=iVWoPQxQ1PYJcNzMmxGooHhGgQU1bikV3nOhxG8ZoPE&s=gqswCkHdxxMD5fKXjy6TiHjnRj1zE5AYSyft4mTeYpE&e=> is a great resource for more information on freezing and other solutions.

Julia Sybalsky
Senior Associate Conservator

Natural Science Collections Conservation
American Museum of Natural History
212-313-7533
413-695-9844 (cell)

On Feb 1, 2018, at 7:02 AM, Hanson, Trish <Trish.Hanson at vermont.gov<mailto:Trish.Hanson at vermont.gov>> wrote:

I received this inquiry from the coordinator of a natural history education program, and would like to share it with the nhcoll group.  The issue is  about dermestid beetles in animal pelts that are contained in teaching kits.  Thank you!  She wrote:

Several of our squirrel pelts have become infested with dermestid beetle larvae and we don't know what to do. We have about 50 pelts of gray and red squirrels, and several tails without the attached pelts (we collected these from road or cat kills). The beetles first appeared in the tails, but now are spreading to the pelts too.

We've been told to put them in a freezer but it's awkward as we have so many, and then we'll have to repack them into our kits every winter when we give them to schools to teach. We wondered if you'd have any suggestions, or could put us in touch with someone who might. We can't use moth balls because many kids hate that smell (and it's probably bad for them to breathe anyway). We also have deer, beaver and muskrat pelts and deer legs - so far they are clean but we worry that the beetles might find them.

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