Please note that this kind of organic debris in uncleanable voids and concealed spaces can also support fungal growth, which may spread potentially toxic spores, especially through ventilation systems. Such debris also can greatly increase fire risks. Such voids, especially in the exterior walls and roofs of buildings, also can encourage the transfer (loss) of heat via air convection currents, which also can transport significant quantities of moisture, encouraging condensation on the colder surfaces.
What pests don't like a private environment full of relatively warm, wet, organic food debris? When in doubt, eliminate such voids in buildings as much as possible. The appropriate use of materials such as Tyvek permeable membrane, water-proof membranes, metal flashings, and closed cell foam insulation can help control air and moisture movement, keep debris out of assemblies, and discourage pests. Concealed spaces and necessary voids that penetrate important spaces or floors, such a pipe chases, should have regular fire stops to retard fire and smoke propagation (2006 International Building Code, § 717, National Fire Protection Association's Life Safety Code Handbook, § 6-2.6 ) . These stops should also restrict pests. I always recommend that such voids have access panels to inspect the conditions of the pipes or wires and to allow for cleaning. Pipes and other mechanical equipment that penetrate walls and other assemblies also need to be fully sealed (2006 International Building Code, § 712). Seismic and expansion joints also need to be sealed. Ventilation ducts, which should be regularly cleaned and their filters replaced as needed, are penetrations should be fitted with fire and smoke dampers to reduce fire risk (2006 International Building Code, § 716). These dampers require regular access and service. Water and food for pests are the enemies. Protection is only as perfect as the humans who design, install, inspect and maintain it. -Bill Remsen Preservation Architect and Senior Cultural Heritage Advisor The SAVE Program, Cyprus On Tue, May 4, 2010 at 8:48 AM, Rick Kerschner < [email protected]> wrote: > David, > OK...I am surprised! Thanks for circulating these. It appears that > designing to eliminate uncleanable voids is certainly a good caution. > Rick > > ------------------------------ > *From:* [email protected] [mailto: > [email protected]] *On Behalf Of *David Pinniger > *Sent:* Tuesday, May 04, 2010 2:51 AM > > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: [pestlist] Clothes Moth Eating Habits > > It seems that some pests have changed their habits! > Although I previously thought that clothes moths would only live in > substantial amounts of wool, fur or feathers in objects, in recent years we > have found them in organic debris. > Three very large London Museums have serious *Tineola* moth problems which > emanate from huge amounts of dirt and debris in dead spaces. The dead spaces > are either under floorboards or behind and under displays which cannot be > cleaned. This seems to be made up of large amounts of hair, skin and > fragments of clothing and so provides sufficient nutrition for the larvae. > Some fragments of human food from functions and cafes provide the seasoning! > By the way, these deposits also support *Anthrenus* and *Attagenus*larvae, > sometimes in large numbers. > The pests can then of course spread into exhibits and infest them. > The images will give you some idea of the problem. > We all need to work with museum designers to prevent them creating these > uncleanable voids. > David > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* Rick Kerschner <[email protected]> > *To:* [email protected] > *Sent:* Monday, May 03, 2010 5:21 PM > *Subject:* RE: [pestlist] Clothes Moth Eating Habits > > Hi Tom, > I understand that insects can feed on human detritus in floor cracks. What > would surprise me would be if that were the main attraction and only food > source for an infestation in the building. As you note states, they started > in a dead pigeon and then moved to the tastier banner, eventually ending up > in the floor crack and beyond. > Rick > > ------------------------------ > *From:* [email protected] [mailto: > [email protected]] *On Behalf Of *[email protected] > *Sent:* Sunday, May 02, 2010 3:59 PM > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: [pestlist] Clothes Moth Eating Habits > > Richard - > > At a major museum in Chicago, I did find WCM larvae feeding on hair and > detritus lodged between the bricks of a trolley exhibit. They started in a > trapped, dead pigeon, then moved to a wool felt banner mounted high up on > the wall of the trolley exhibit, ended up between the bricks, and then on to > a pioneer life exhibit. > > Tom Parker > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Rick Kerschner <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Fri, Apr 30, 2010 9:03 am > Subject: RE: [pestlist] Clothes Moth Eating Habits > > My experience reflects Molly's observations. Whenever I have found insect > infestations they have been on particularly "tasty" artifacts, e.g. > taxidermy mounts, fur mukluks, wool interior of a carriage, that have been > in storage in poor conditions and not vacuumed for ages. With one exception, > I cannot remember a carpet beetle or moth infestation on an artifact on > exhibition that is vacuumed even only yearly. That exception is our hunting > lodge filled with taxidermy specimens. We did find carpet beetles on the > specimens, especially in the horns, after 55 years on exhibit and they had > been there at a low level for quite a while. However, this infestation was > not due to detritus carried into the building by visitors. The artifacts > themselves were the source of the food for the insects. > > Although I guess that it is possible for insects to be attracted to small > amounts of protein left by visitors as they tour our buildings, I doubt that > this source or nourishment is the cause of significant collections > infestations. Better to look for a dead bird or rodent in the walls, or a > high-protein artifact that had not seen the light of day or the brush of a > vacuum for years. > > Richard L. Kerschner > Director of Preservation and Conservation > Shelburne Museum > PO Box 10, Route 7 > Shelburne, VT 05482 > (802) 985-3348 x3361 > [email protected] > > ------------------------------ > *From:* [email protected] [ > mailto:[email protected] <[email protected]?>] *On > Behalf Of *Molly Gleeson > *Sent:* Thursday, April 29, 2010 4:08 PM > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: [pestlist] Clothes Moth Eating Habits > > This is interesting, however, I'm wondering how many instances there are > of collections becoming infested by clothes moth larvae while on display? I > guess I've never heard of that, but I'd be interested to know if this is a > frequent occurrence and a problem. We generally don't let the public in > storage areas, and, in my limited experience, that is where the majority of > these infestations occur. > > best, > Molly > > Molly Gleeson > Conservator of Archaeological and Ethnographic Objects > San Diego, CA > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Heather Thomas <[email protected]> > *To:* [email protected] > *Sent:* Thu, April 29, 2010 12:42:12 PM > *Subject:* Re: [pestlist] Clothes Moth Eating Habits > > Thanks for that Thomas. > I thought that WCM would eat skin as they attack taxidermy specimens, > leather and dried animal remains or is it only the fur, hair and feathers > they eat? I'm starting to realise our collections would be a lot safer if we > didn't let the public in the our museums. :-) > > On 29 Apr 2010, at 19:50, [email protected] wrote: > > Heather - > > When I give an IPPM lecture, I tell my audience a visitor drops 3 hairs and > one fingernail per visit. WCM larvae will readily feed on the hair, but > usually not the fingernails. Carpet beetles will feed on the fingernails. > I know of nothing, which will damage collections, which will feed on skin > cells. The public doesn't drop feathers. Generally I have found younger > instars feeding on the debris in cracks between floor boards and bricks in a > museum. Although I haven't seen it, I am assuming in a large public museum, > there's enough protein debris for a WCM larva to complete its development > and pupate utilizing the protein materials dropped by the public. > > Thomas A. Parker, PhD > President, Entomologist > Pest Control Services, Inc. > > > > > >
