RE: [pestlist] question about extent of application of Bora-Care
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. --- To follow up: We’ve had good help here from a University entomologist and some preservation architects, and have a contact at Forest Products lab, also, should we find need for it. We’ve determined at this point that the infestation is quite old, and very widespread, and that the affected woods are softwood, and therefore not infested with ‘true’ powder post beetles. A large portion of the building structure needs to be treated, and our pest control vendor is adamant that the entire surface of certain (not quite all) walls and all infested beams must be treated. I adamantly trust based on our interactions with him that he is making a practical choice based on his experience, and thus we are prepared to treat the structure to the extent he advises. Because of the vast amount of material stored within the structure, we also feel it is sensible to treat certain areas preventatively, in case something should be missed. Because it is such a large area, we are using Tim-Bor, rather than BoraCare, for the lower expense and greater ease of application. And it is Tim-Bor, as our vendor has a stock of it, regardless of it’s current commercial availability. As for the proposed fumigation treatment – the vendor thought all objects in the building would be treated, which is why he initially proposed fumigation as most economical. However, most non-collections items will eventually be discarded, and since the proposed fumigant is phosphine gas (which I am not comfortable treating collections with, and see from prior messages has not always been effective) we are investigating other options. While we may consider anoxic treatments, our best at the moment seems to be treating affected collections with an application of BoraCare. The question now in our minds is, do we treat these collections and leave them in situ for two years? One to allow the pests to eat their way through the treatment, and another to see if the treatment was successful and no more exit holes appear? Ideally, when the infestation is gone, we would like to see collections moved to a better storage environment – which is available, however, we are fearful of spreading the infestation through our own mitigation efforts! Cheers, Katie Preservation Coordinator, Wisconsin Historical Society From: ad...@museumpests.net [mailto:ad...@museumpests.net] On Behalf Of bugma...@aol.com Sent: Friday, February 10, 2012 8:03 PM To: pestlist@museumpests.net Subject: Re: [pestlist] question about extent of application of Bora-Care This is a message from the Museumpests List. To post to this list send it as an email to pestlist@museumpests.netmailto:pestlist@museumpests.net To unsubscribe please look at the footer of this email. --- Group - Studies have shown a timber damaged by either powder post beetles or Old House Borers loses only 15% of its structural strength. The reason is the galleries are tightly packed with powdered frass. The larvae are not removing the wood, as do termites. Tom Parker -Original Message- From: Alex Roach alro...@heritagepestmanagement.commailto:alro...@heritagepestmanagement.com To: pestlist pestlist@museumpests.netmailto:pestlist@museumpests.net Sent: Fri, Feb 10, 2012 5:59 pm Subject: Re: [pestlist] question about extent of application of Bora-Care This is a message from the Museumpests List. To post to this list send it as an email to pestlist@museumpests.netmailto:pestlist@museumpests.net To unsubscribe please look at the footer of this email. --- Hi I would apply the spray to susceptible timber throughout the area where the borer was active, mainly because their long life cycle within the timber (i.e. from when the larvae first emerge from the egg until when the adult emerges from an exit hole) means that extensive damage can occur. Sound timber now may not be in 3-4 years time. Best wishes, Alex Alex Roach Heritage Pest Management On 10/02/2012, at 8:37 AM, Rick Kerschner rkersch...@shelburnemuseum.orgmailto:rkersch...@shelburnemuseum.org wrote: This is a message from the Museumpests List. To post to this list send it as an email to pestlist@museumpests.netmailto:pestlist@museumpests.net To unsubscribe please look at the footer of this email. --- Is the infestation widespread, i.e. frass-filled exit holes throughout the structure? We have been quite successful in controlling powder post beetles by applying Bora-Care only to the infested areas as identified by holes with frass in them and trails of frass extending from the holes, areas such as the sill of the building
Re: [pestlist] question about extent of application of Bora-Care
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. --- Kathleen - Thank you for the update. The reason one uses BoraCare instead of Tim-bor is it leaves twice as much sodium octaborate in the wood. Do not treat any collection artifact with any borate or other topical material. You will chemically alter the artifact for the remainder of its lifetime. Hydrogen phosphide gas reacts with all sorts of metals. It should not be used on museum artifacts. I really cannot help you further because I have not had an opportunity to see your situation. It's like asking the doctor to diagnose and prescribe without seeing the patient. Hope things work out well for your building and collection. Sincerely, Tom Parker -Original Message- From: Mullen, Kathleen D - WHS kathleen.mul...@wisconsinhistory.org To: pestlist pestlist@museumpests.net Sent: Thu, Mar 29, 2012 3:06 pm Subject: RE: [pestlist] question about extent of application of Bora-Care 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. --- To follow up: We’ve had good help here from a University entomologist and some preservation architects, and have a contact at Forest Products lab, also, should we find need for it. We’ve determined at this point that the infestation is quite old, and very widespread, and that the affected woods are softwood, and therefore not infested with ‘true’ powder post beetles. A large portion of the building structure needs to be treated, and our pest control vendor is adamant that the entire surface of certain (not quite all) walls and all infested beams must be treated. I adamantly trust based on our interactions with him that he is making a practical choice based on his experience, and thus we are prepared to treat the structure to the extent he advises. Because of the vast amount of material stored within the structure, we also feel it is sensible to treat certain areas preventatively, in case something should be missed. Because it is such a large area, we are using Tim-Bor, rather than BoraCare, for the lower expense and greater ease of application. And it is Tim-Bor, as our vendor has a stock of it, regardless of it’s current commercial availability. As for the proposed fumigation treatment – the vendor thought all objects in the building would be treated, which is why he initially proposed fumigation as most economical. However, most non-collections items will eventually be discarded, and since the proposed fumigant is phosphine gas (which I am not comfortable treating collections with, and see from prior messages has not always been effective) we are investigating other options. While we may consider anoxic treatments, our best at the moment seems to be treating affected collections with an application of BoraCare. The question now in our minds is, do we treat these collections and leave them in situ for two years? One to allow the pests to eat their way through the treatment, and another to see if the treatment was successful and no more exit holes appear? Ideally, when the infestation is gone, we would like to see collections moved to a better storage environment – which is available, however, we are fearful of spreading the infestation through our own mitigation efforts! Cheers, Katie Preservation Coordinator, Wisconsin Historical Society From: ad...@museumpests.net [mailto:ad...@museumpests.net] On Behalf Of bugma...@aol.com Sent: Friday, February 10, 2012 8:03 PM To: pestlist@museumpests.net Subject: Re: [pestlist] question about extent of application of Bora-Care 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. --- Group - Studies have shown a timber damaged by either powder post beetles or Old House Borers loses only 15% of its structural strength. The reason is the galleries are tightly packed with powdered frass. The larvae are not removing the wood, as do termites. Tom Parker -Original Message- From: Alex Roach alro...@heritagepestmanagement.com To: pestlist pestlist@museumpests.net Sent: Fri, Feb 10, 2012 5:59 pm Subject: Re: [pestlist] question about extent of application of Bora-Care 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 I would apply the spray to susceptible timber throughout the area where
Re: [pestlist] question about extent of application of Bora-Care
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. --- Group - Studies have shown a timber damaged by either powder post beetles or Old House Borers loses only 15% of its structural strength. The reason is the galleries are tightly packed with powdered frass. The larvae are not removing the wood, as do termites. Tom Parker -Original Message- From: Alex Roach alro...@heritagepestmanagement.com To: pestlist pestlist@museumpests.net Sent: Fri, Feb 10, 2012 5:59 pm Subject: Re: [pestlist] question about extent of application of Bora-Care 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 I would apply the spray to susceptible timber throughout the area where the borer was active, mainly because their long life cycle within the timber (i.e. from when the larvae first emerge from the egg until when the adult emerges from an exit hole) means that extensive damage can occur. Sound timber now may not be in 3-4 years time. Best wishes, Alex Alex Roach Heritage Pest Management On 10/02/2012, at 8:37 AM, Rick Kerschner rkersch...@shelburnemuseum.org 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. --- Is the infestation widespread, i.e. frass-filled exit holes throughout the structure? We have been quite successful in controlling powder post beetles by applying Bora-Care only to the infested areas as identified by holes with frass in them and trails of frass extending from the holes, areas such as the sill of the building or the base of columns where the wood has a higher moisture content and is more inviting. In Vermont, we find that such infestations travel very slowly, perhaps because they have been held in check by our cold winters. It would be prohibitively expensive to treat all or even many of the structural elements of the building as a preventive measure when there was evidence of active infestation in only limited portions of the structure.You can always apply Bora-Care in the future to additional areas if you detect a spreading infestation. Rick Richard L. Kerschner Director of Preservation and Conservation Shelburne Museum PO Box 10, Route 7 Shelburne, VT 05482 (802) 985-3348 x3361 rkersch...@shelburnemuseum.org From: ad...@museumpests.net [mailto:ad...@museumpests.net] On Behalf Of Mullen, Kathleen D - WHS Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2012 3:30 PM To: 'pestlist@museumpests.net' Subject: [pestlist] question about extent of application of Bora-Care 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. --- We are in the process of designing treatment for an infestation of wood borers in a large historic storage structure. We’re satisfied with all aspects of the proposed treatment (Bora-Care application) – however, the pest management company has proposed a widespread application, and we’re wondering if the application of Bora Care should be confined to just the area in which exit holes can currently be seen, or should it extend beyond that? Katie Mullen Preservation Coordinator, Library-Archives Wisconsin Historical Society 816 State Street Madison, WI 53706-1482 PH: 608-264-6489 cell: 608-575-8944 kathleen.mul...@wisconsinhistory.org Collecting, Preserving and Sharing Stories Since 1846 -- 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
