[Nhcoll-l] Pest extermination with really big objects

[Adrian Lenninger]

I just want to say thanks to everyone who has answered this far.

Many interesting suggestions and we are looking in to anoxia bubbles and innovative freezing locations simultaneously. Unfortunately  the big freight forwarders in our area has been reluctant to handle our material in their facilities and reefer trucks does not seem to be as big here as in the states (everything is bigger in America) but the search goes on.

Please keep the good advice coming,
Adrian


Adrian Lenninger
Förste assistent

[Logotyp för Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet]

From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> On Behalf Of Adrian Lenninger
Sent: den 8 september 2025 14:21
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Pest extermination with really big objects

Hello!
We at the Swedish Museum of Natural History are moving material, mostly bones and mounted mammals, from one external storage facility to another. The facility that we are evacuating is riddled with pests, mainly the dermestid Trogoderma angustum, so everything has to undergo some sort of pest managing procedure before installation at the new place.
Unfortunately, a few bone objects are too big to fit in available freezing containers or our own walk-in freezers, and we are struggling to find a way to kill of pests that are sure to reside in the objects. The biggest object is a sperm whale skull measuring 275 * 590 cm at the base with a height of 215 cm.
We have tried to find businesses that might dispose of huge freezers without any luck, and we have failed to find clever ways of tilting the objects in to the freezing containers.
Does anyone have any ideas here? All thoughts are welcome as we really don´t know what to do at this point. If you have worked with fumigation, we are interested in what compounds where used and if you were happy with the results.
Best regards,
Adrian Lenninger


Adrian Lenninger
Förste assistent
ZOO
Naturhistoriska riksmuseet
Box 50007 | 104 05 Stockholm


[Logotyp för Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet]
[Naturhistoriska riksmuseet, Forskar, Bevarar och Förklarar, NRM.SE]

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