This is a message from the Museumpests List. To post to this list send it as an email to pestlist@museumpests.net To unsubscribe please look at the footer of this email. ----------------------------------------------------------- Hi Bonnie
We've had a number herbarium pest problems in Australia in recent years, mainly with herbarium/drugstore beetles (Stegobium panaceum), but also cigarette beetles (Lasioderma serricorne). The specimens have been stored in a variety of ways including plastic tubs and cardboard boxes. Neither have proven effective as a barrier to attack, especially to highly attractive families the Asteraceae family. We have been using prefabricated high-barrier bags to encapsulate such specimens in an effort to make them 'invisible' to pests (i.e. no odour to attract the bugs). This has been done in conjunction with a number of other steps such as temperature control, pheromone trapping. In short, if there is an existing pest problem I don't think the tubs will afford any protection. Best wishes Alex Alex Roach Heritage Pest Management On 27/08/2012, at 9:29 AM, Bonnie Amos <bonnie.a...@angelo.edu> wrote: > This is a message from the Museumpests List. > To post to this list send it as an email to pestlist@museumpests.net > To unsubscribe please look at the footer of this email. > ----------------------------------------------------------- > Hi all, > We have been fumigating herbarium specimens by first stacking the specimens > in a plastic tub (usually Walmart specials), closing the tub with its > somewhat secure lid, then putting the filled tub in a heavy gauge plastic bag > which is tightly closed and then the entire unit is placed into the > ultracold. We allow the 24 hour thaw and have not had any problems with > internal condensation. I like using the tubs because they provide rigid > support and protection and they make it easier to handle, stack, and > transport specimens. Here is the part I am not so sure about. After thawing, > the tubs are moved into the pest-free herbarium and some specimens remain in > the tubs for several weeks before processing (we are a regional university > and depend on part-time student helpers). My question…are the closed tubs > providing pest protection to the specimens? > Thanks, > Bonnie Amos, Ph.D. > Professor and Curator, Angelo State Natural History Collections, Herbarium > Angelo State University > ASU Station #10890 > Department of Biology > San Angelo, TX 76909 > > (325) 486-6656 > bonnie.a...@angelo.edu > Member, Texas Tech University System > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To send an email to the list, send your msg to pestlist@museumpests.Net > > To unsubscribe from this list send an email to pestlist@museumpests.net and > in the subject put: > "unsubscribe" - no quotes please. > > You are receiving the Pestlist emails in standard mode. > To change to the DIGEST mode send an > email to imail...@museumpests.net with this command in the body: > > set mode digest pestlist > > Any problems email l...@collectionpests.com or l...@zaks.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To send an email to the list, send your msg to pestlist@museumpests.Net To unsubscribe from this list send an email to pestlist@museumpests.net and in the subject put: "unsubscribe" - no quotes please. You are receiving the Pestlist emails in standard mode. To change to the DIGEST mode send an email to imail...@museumpests.net with this command in the body: set mode digest pestlist Any problems email l...@collectionpests.com or l...@zaks.com
