[Nhcoll-l] Moldy mammal specimens

[John E Simmons]

Ben's advice is good, but you might want to consider using full-strength
ethanol (95.6%) rather than 70%. At 70%, ethanol is a good biocide, but the
advantage to full-strenth is that it evaporates faster and therefore is
less likely to affect the specimen or be absorbed deeply into the specimen.
I also recommend cleaning the specimens by rolling a cotton swab (Q-tip)
over the mold rather than brushing.

--John

John E. Simmons
Writer and Museum Consultant
Museologica
*and*
Investigador Asociado, Departamento de Ornitologia
Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima


On Wed, Jul 3, 2024 at 5:42 PM Benjamin Hess <bmhess at umich.edu> wrote:

> Jessica,
>
> I treated an entire cabinet with mammal specimens, which included several
> bats. I am listing our process steps below. If you have any
> questions, please let me know. I am happy to share more specific details.
>
>    - Isolate the cabinet out of the collection (if possible). We moved
>    ours to our preparation lab.
>    - Remove moldy specimens from the cabinet and place inside a fume hood.
>    - Discard any archival trays that may hold mold spores. Place in a
>    sealed trash bag.
>    - Use 70% ethanol to wipe all surfaces of the cabinet including seal.
>    If possible, you can spray the cabinet with 70% ethanol. Use HEPA vacuum
>    after each treatment. Repeat 2-3 times depending upon mold severity.
>    - If this is an older cabinet, consider improving the seal.
>    - Check the temperature and humidity conditions of the cabinet
>    location. We discovered an airflow issue and resealed a collection door
>    that contributed to the issue.
>    - Specimens:
>       - Under the fume hood, use 70% ethanol and a small brush like a
>       toothbrush (soft brush or Q-tip for bat membrane) to coat all surfaces of
>       specimens with mold. Use new ethanol frequently based upon mold coverage.
>       - Leave specimens in the fume hood until dry.
>       - With a dry brush, brush specimens toward HEPA vacuum with screen
>       over tip to prevent unwanted vacuuming (e.g., specimen tags).
>       - Depending upon the severity of mold, repeat 2-3 times.
>       - Once complete, dry specimens under fume hood with a drying method
>       for specimen preparation including compressed air and additional drying
>       "dust" for skins.
>       - No paper material beyond specimen labels should be retained.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Ben
>
> *Benjamin M. Hess | EEB Museums Registrar | **EEB Museums Safety
> Representative to the RMC *
>
> University of Michigan | LSA Ecology & Evolutionary Biology | Research
> Museums Center
>
> 3600 Varsity Drive, Ann Arbor MI 48108-2228
>
> bmhess at umich.edu | 734-764-2432
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Jul 3, 2024 at 2:56 PM Jessica E. Light <jessica.light at ag.tamu.edu>
> wrote:
>
>> Hi everyone,
>>
>> Anyone have any advice for the best treatment for mold on preserved skins
>> (small mammals, primarily bats, mostly on exposed wing and tail membranes
>> and ear/face tissue) and skeletal elements (mainly skulls)? I'm looking for
>> advice for treating the specimens themselves as well as the cases in which
>> the specimens are stored.
>>
>> Thank you in advance for your help!
>> Jessica
>>
>> --
>> Dr. Jessica E. Light (she/her/hers)
>> Professor and Curator of Mammals
>> Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology
>> Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections
>> Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843https://lightjessica.weebly.com
>>
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> NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of
> Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose
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> natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to
> society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information.
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