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Megan, I also wanted to throw in my two cents for heat treatment. It's by far the fastest (it is sometimes used to kill termites in buildings: 130degrees F for about an hour is all that's necessary, though of course that means 130 at the core of the "artifact"). Again, we do this for props (a tree branch in an installation, in fact) in New Mexico. Again, it may not be feasible in Ohio at this time of year. I imagine there are companies who do this, much like freezer trucks, but I have never looked into it. With heat, though, there is also the problem of drying out the wood, more so if there are leaves on the trees. Again all this has to be weighed with other eradication options. I agree with everyone else that the branches MUST be treated before installation. I'd be happy to give you more details about it if you're interested. As for importing something and outside of the branches themselves, there are international regulations for spraying wooden crates (if that is what branches would be shipped in). We received a large shipment from Indonesia that had been quarantined in Los Angeles for many weeks. It had been sprayed with Methyl Bromide in Indonesia, and I'm not sure if it was in California as well. (Yes it is banned, but it still has limited use.) There were a couple of problems with this: 1) though methyl bromide is supposed to evaporate within 24 hours, there was an overwhelming sweet smell (we've determined it was most likely M.B. and not a solvent carrier) when the crate was opened and 2) there was still at least one live auger beetle inside the crate. Good luck- Mina Mina Thompson Associate Conservator Conservation Department Museum Resources Division, DCA P.O. Box 2087 Santa Fe, NM 87504-2087 Phone: (505) 476-1238 Fax: (505) 476-1227 -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Megan Emery Sent: Thursday, October 01, 2009 7:59 AM To: [email protected]; '[email protected]' Subject: [OSG] Pests and a Contemporary Installation Hello everyone, I am cross-posting this query to both OSG and the Pest-list as I hope to find an answer to this dilemma soon. Our Curator of Dec Arts & Design approached me yesterday with a proposal from the designers the Campana Brothers. At the request of our institution, they have proposed the design for an installation in our temporary exhibition space for Contemporary Art. They would like to fill the room with bare tree branches- on the walls, floor, hanging from the ceiling, etc and then place permanent collection objects throughout, including a carved bedroom set, fashion arts, ceramics, paintings, and so on. My initial reaction to the curator was that this could work, but that the branches would have to be bagged and frozen prior to arrival at the museum. We do not have a freezer for collections, therefore it would have to take place off-site and for an unknown expense. My suggestions have not been received well by some. Since the designers are located in Brazil, we also don't know where the branches will be coming from. Is it possible to purchase treated bare branches? I assumed freezing would be the low-cost option, but am I overlooking another treatment? Or am I overreacting to the potential pest hazard of bringing a large number of tree branches into the museum? The curator is drafting a contract as I type this, and I would like to include some requirements if possible. If anyone has had experience working with artists using large quantities of "fresh" organics in a museum setting, or if you have a solution to de-bugging the branches, I would be grateful for any tips, advice, or suggestions! Thank you so much! Megan Megan J. Emery Assistant Conservator of Objects cincinnati art museum 953 Eden Park Drive Cincinnati, OH 45202 t: (513) 639-2869 f: (513) 639 2996 [email protected] --++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**==--++**== osg-l mailing list [email protected] https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/osg-l ______________________________________________________________________ This inbound email has been scanned for malicious software and transmitted safely to you using Webroot Email Security. ______________________________________________________________________ Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail, including all attachments is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. 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