In addition, you need to take into account the type of collection. Some collections are more sensitive than others. For example, if the collection contains a lot of wool and feather then it is highly sensitive to all pests that eat this type of material. And do not forget the archival material that are associated with the collection - much of that is paper based - so even a collection that is primarily inorganic, say a geology collection or paleontology collection will be subject to a significant loss of data if there is a serious silverfish or cockroach (for example) infestation.
Museum Pest Net is a great first stop to gain information on the main museum pests. Use the white-sheets. You will get a feel for it. Determine if it is active or not. Good luck! Gretchen Anderson Conservator Carnegie Museum of Natural History ________________________________ From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2011 10:42 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [pestlist] methodology to measure levels of pests? It depends on the kind of pest: If it's a webbing or case-making clothes moth - I'd say 2 or 3 is a level of concern. If it's the common carpet beetle - 4 or 5. If it's silverfish, probably 6 or more. If it's mice - 1. It also depends on where you find them. If carpet beetle larvae are feeding on dead insects on a glueboard, that's not as much concern as if they were feeding on a war bonnet or military uniform. Tom Parker -----Original Message----- From: rafael paulino <[email protected]> To: pestlist <[email protected]> Sent: Tue, Mar 22, 2011 9:46 am Subject: [pestlist] methodology to measure levels of pests? Good morning, colleagues Pestlist. I wonder how can a conservator without in-depth knowledge of entomology can perform measurements on pests found in a file and verify that the levels are within the "threshold of tolerance. " I would appreciate information on the case. Best Regard Rafael Paulino The information contained in this message and/or attachments is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any system and destroy any copies. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender.
