The BorActin is basically finely ground up Borax. the SDS states
In animal feeding tests, boric acid has been shown to impair fertility at very
high doses. However, decades of occupational exposure in humans have shown no
adverse effects associated with this material.
No one really has much data on boric acid treatments on objects. For something
like a log sculpture if the owners are good with it that may make sense.
Getting the dust into every crack and crevice with a dust could leave wood
borers that turn and tunnel untreated as the dust will only work on surfaces
that they come across. Boracare is the same active ingredient and will
penetrate the timber and protect the wood for a very long time. Any other have
thoughts on using Boracare??
Joel Voron Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Conservation Dept.
Integrated Pest Management
Office 757-220-7080
Cell 757-634-1175
E-Mail [email protected]
[1474552137245_IMG_0499.JPG]
________________________________
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Ariana
Webber <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, November 14, 2019 9:35 AM
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [pestlist] Boractin Treatment on Museum Object
We identified the book lice but there are casings from something else (we are
awaiting an id on that). The small pin hole damage was probably not caused by
book lice then, but some other wood boring insect? Would the boractin
treatment take care of those? I believe our IPM specialist said it would treat
any insect with an exoskeleton.
Our humidity is pretty museum standard - around 45%, though there might have
been humidity problems where the work was stored before it came to us.
Ideally we treat the works in house while they remain on view. They are very
large and it is only a temporary exhibition (month and a half left on view) so
we don't want to take them off view for treatment if we can avoid it. So heat
and anoxic treatment are not options at the moment. It is possible we could
use the boractin treatment as a stop gap measure and then use a heat treatment
once the show closes...
We do have permission from the lender to use Boractin, but I wanted to do a
little more research before we actually proceeded. Supposedly no trace will be
left on the trees, but I was worried about any longer term effects. It wasn't
a treatment I had seen used on museum objects before.
Best,
Ariana
On Wed, Nov 13, 2019 at 5:40 PM Anderson, Gretchen
<[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
Have you identified the bugs you are finding? Psocids (Book lice) are mold
eaters – so this suggests that your humidity is high enough to support a
nascent mold growth. They will not damage the wood and will go away if you
increase cleaning and reduce RH. From the sound of it the sculptures are
perfect for harboring all sorts of critters, but are these museum pests that
will damage collections? You may have an infestation of incidentals. That is
why I am asking about identifications. Have you seen any evidence of powderpost
or other wood boring beetles?
Heat would be the easiest and quickest treatment. Anoxic will take longer. In
any case, you should contact the artist (or owner) for permission as to the
treatment you propose.
Gretchen Anderson
Gretchen Anderson
Conservator
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
5800 Baum Blvd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
(412)665-2607
From: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
<[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> On Behalf Of
Voron, Joel
Sent: Wednesday, November 13, 2019 3:52 PM
To: Ariana Webber <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>>
Cc: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [pestlist] Boractin Treatment on Museum Object
If you can’t use anoxia I would see if you can get permission from the artist
to use boracare which is a mild boric acid solution that uses a form of glycol
to transport the boric acid into the cells of the timber. This product is used
on construction and log homes. Mixed 3 parts water to one part boracare. Drys
clear. Dusting cracks may miss powder post beetles. JTV
Joel Voron Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Conservation Dept.
Integrated Pest Management
Office 757-220-7080<tel:757-220-7080>
Cell 757-634-1175<tel:757-634-1175>
E-Mail [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
[X]
On Nov 13, 2019, at 2:34 PM, Ariana Webber
<[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
Hi All!
I have a question about book lice and the treatment boractin that I was hoping
to pose to the group. We have a set of works that were lent to our museum that
it became clear are infested. The works are trees that have been partially
carved. So part of the work is the raw outside of a tree, moss still attached
in some instances. Supposedly they were heat treated in the past, but it is
clear that either didn't work or they have been reinfested at some point. We
have seen the presence of book lice and possibly some moths. I found an
additional casing from a yet un-identified insect this morning. One problem is
that the trees are very large and need to remain on view for this exhibition if
possible.
We have consulted an IPM specialist who recommends treating the trees with
boractin dust. I have not heard of this treatment used on museum objects
before and was hoping to get a little insight from the community. Our IPM
specialist says that the boractin will leave no trace on the trees and only be
inserted into the cracks and crevices using a bulb duster. Does anyone have
any thoughts on this? Should I be concerned about any long term effects of
using it on the trees?
Thanks so much for your help,
Ariana
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