Re: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum...
Tom, I agree with you having looked at the images. What an amazing website! David - Original Message - From: bugma...@aol.com To: pestlist@museumpests.net Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 2010 8:42 PM Subject: Re: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... David - The beetle in question is commonly called the Ash Bark Beetle. I think it's Leperisinus fraxini, instead of varius, simply because of the pattern on the elytra. Tom Parker -Original Message- From: David Pinniger da...@pinniger.globalnet.co.uk To: pestlist@museumpests.net Sent: Wed, Jul 7, 2010 12:56 pm Subject: Re: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Elisabeth, It could be a Scolytid beetle, they look like this and will emerge from wood with bark in huge numbers. I do not have any pictures of any with such markings. You could ask Uwe Noldt in Germany, he is the best woodborer expert I know in Europe. David - Original Message - From: E. Abgottspon To: pestlist@museumpests.net Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 2010 4:35 PM Subject: RE: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Dear pestlist-Members Thank you very much for your fast answers from around the world! I was looking for pictures of the anobium punctatum and the Anthrenus verbasci in the Internet and I dont’ think the beetles are anobii. But, maybe I’ve got both of them and the anobii aren’t beetles yet……. There is a lot of „wooden powder“ on the wood… L I didnt’ want to sent pictures which are too heavy… but unfortunately then you see even less… I send you one which is not reduced concering the size, but even then you can’t see it properly I guess. The beetle itself is about 3 millimeters in length. I called an expert who is coming today – so I will soon know more about the specimen and the problems/risks, I hope… But I’m glad to have some help from museum-experts as well! Best regards and thank you again Elisabeth Abgottspon Von: pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net [mailto:pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net] Im Auftrag von James Hogan Gesendet: Dienstag, 6. Juli 2010 17:13 An: pestlist@museumpests.net Betreff: RE: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Dear Elisabeth, I agree with Monika Åkerlund, it is essential to get a correct identification of the beetles. Only then will you know where they are coming from and what action, if any, is necessary. They do not look like Anthrenus or Anobium because they are the wrong shape and they have what appears to be a strong spherical antennal club. But more than that it is difficult to say because the photos are not very clear (i know it is difficult to get good photos of small insects without specialist equipment). Perhaps you could send specimens to your national museum to get them identified? Let us know how you get on, James Hogan James Hogan Hope Entomological Collections Oxford University Museum of Natural History Parks Road, OXFORD OX1 3PW, UK. Tel: 01865 272 978 From: pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net [pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net] On Behalf Of Monika Åkerlund [monika.akerl...@nrm.se] Sent: 06 July 2010 15:39 To: pestlist@museumpests.net Subject: FW: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Dear all, I have looked at a closer photo of one of the beetles. It is neither an Anthrenus nor an Anobium punctatum . The beetles should be identified by an entomologist. Best wishes Monika Åkerlund Monika Åkerlund Curator Research Div./Preventive Conservation Group Swedish Museum of Natural History Box 50007 SE-104 05 Stockholm Sweden Tel. +46 (0)8 519 542 01 Fax.+46 (0)8 519 540 85 E-mail. monika.akerl...@nrm.se www.nrm.se www.nrm.se/premal From: pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net [mailto:pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net] On Behalf Of Julianne Phippard Sent: den 6 juli 2010 15:29 To: pestlist@museumpests.net Subject: RE: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Elisabeth, From the photos of the beetles and damage, they look like furniture beetle to me (anobium punctatum). The larvae will have been living in the wood, tunnelling undetected (sometimes for years) and the adults are only now emerging, perhaps triggered by the temperature change as the wood came into your museum or the arrival of summer weather. However, if your gallery is fairly stable with a moderate relative humidity (under 50% RH) then they will probably not survive to lay eggs anywhere else, and in the UK we usually do not find infestations surviving in centrally heated buildings because the RH goes quite low over the winter. However, if your building
RE: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum...
This is a message from the Pest Management Database 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. --- Thanks for the photos. The way the head is tucked at a right angle to the body, the clubbed antennae, the mottled elytra, and the piles of powder; I too agree these are not Anobium punctatum, nor are they Dermestids. I have no idea what they might be. Tom Parker From: pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net [pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net] On Behalf Of Louis Sorkin [sor...@amnh.org] Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 2010 4:45 PM To: pestlist@museumpests.net Subject: Re: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... This is a message from the Pest Management Database 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 Tom, I received the images attached to the original inquiry/post: maybe AOL did something with the pictures. Lou Elisabeth - Apparently some of the members of the pest list had photos of the critters. I never received them. Birds nests often have Anthrenus in them, feeding on the feathers. I'd get rid of them. Some others have said you also have a wood-boring beetle. Would love to see the photos. Tom Parker -Original Message- From: E. Abgottspon e.abgotts...@ortsmuseum-kuesnacht.ch To: pestlist@museumpests.net Sent: Tue, Jul 6, 2010 9:49 am Subject: AW: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Dear Thomas Thank you very much for your fast answer! As I received a quite similar answer, I checked again the exhibition… and we also have 4 bird’s nests. I’m just wondering how it comes that there are so many beetles just because of probably two bird’s nests??? Will the bugs be a risk for the objects in our next exhibition or can I solve the problem in removing the nests? And it also seems that I have two different problems (bugs and worms). But are the worms in the wood in this case less „dangerous“ for the room and the objects? I called now a firm which is specialised in eliminating pest problems… But I’m glad to have some help from museum-experts as well!! Thank you again and best regards from Switzerland Elisabeth Abgottspon Von: pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net [mailto:pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net] Im Auftrag von bugma...@aol.com Gesendet: Dienstag, 6. Juli 2010 14:09 An: pestlist@museumpests.net Betreff: Re: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Elisabeth - If they are indeed Anthrenus verbasci, they are NOT coming from the wood. They most likely are coming from the dead birds. Anthrenus larvae eat protein, i.e. the dead bird feathers, skins, and entrails. The adult beetles are attracted to light, hence they end up on the window sills and in the light fixtures. Remove the dead birds. Thomas A. Parker, PhD President, Entomologist Pest Control Services, Inc. -Original Message- From: E. Abgottspon e.abgotts...@ortsmuseum-kuesnacht.ch To: pestlist@museumpests.net Sent: Tue, Jul 6, 2010 4:40 am Subject: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Dear members of the pestlist I’m the „curator“ of a little a Museum in Switzerland, but not knowing much about pests. It would be great if you can help me concerning a bug-problem. At the moment, we show an exhibition about different „phenomenas“ in the near nature environment of the museum (Kuesnacht, Switzerland). As the subject is „nature“, our designers decided to use „nature materials“ and I agreed to do so. Now, I wouldn’t do it anymore… Because: we now have bugs in the exhibition-room. A biologist told me that they must be Anthrenus, probably Anthrenus verbasci. The grubs/worms must be in the wood we used and the bugs are lying near the window, most of them dead. As the removing of the wood would probably be the end of the exhibition (it should actually not end before october…), I would like to know the risks and the problems and what else I could do instead of removing the wood… Fortunately we don’t have our collection/museum-objects in this room except some « dead birds ». And it wouldn’t be a problem, if the worms will stay in the wood and eat this wood, in which they’ve come into the museum. Do the worms eat only the bark of the wood – will it be a big problem for the room itself (wooden ceiling…), because now the bugs are lying their eggs everywhere? And will they destroy the objects of our next exhibition in this room? What are they eating actually? What do I have to do concerning the room…? I send you a few pictures – it would be great, if you could help me
Re: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum...
Elisabeth, It could be a Scolytid beetle, they look like this and will emerge from wood with bark in huge numbers. I do not have any pictures of any with such markings. You could ask Uwe Noldt in Germany, he is the best woodborer expert I know in Europe. David - Original Message - From: E. Abgottspon To: pestlist@museumpests.net Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 2010 4:35 PM Subject: RE: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Dear pestlist-Members Thank you very much for your fast answers from around the world! I was looking for pictures of the anobium punctatum and the Anthrenus verbasci in the Internet and I dont' think the beetles are anobii. But, maybe I've got both of them and the anobii aren't beetles yet... There is a lot of wooden powder on the wood. L I didnt' want to sent pictures which are too heavy. but unfortunately then you see even less. I send you one which is not reduced concering the size, but even then you can't see it properly I guess. The beetle itself is about 3 millimeters in length. I called an expert who is coming today - so I will soon know more about the specimen and the problems/risks, I hope. But I'm glad to have some help from museum-experts as well! Best regards and thank you again Elisabeth Abgottspon -- Von: pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net [mailto:pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net] Im Auftrag von James Hogan Gesendet: Dienstag, 6. Juli 2010 17:13 An: pestlist@museumpests.net Betreff: RE: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Dear Elisabeth, I agree with Monika Åkerlund, it is essential to get a correct identification of the beetles. Only then will you know where they are coming from and what action, if any, is necessary. They do not look like Anthrenus or Anobium because they are the wrong shape and they have what appears to be a strong spherical antennal club. But more than that it is difficult to say because the photos are not very clear (i know it is difficult to get good photos of small insects without specialist equipment). Perhaps you could send specimens to your national museum to get them identified? Let us know how you get on, James Hogan James Hogan Hope Entomological Collections Oxford University Museum of Natural History Parks Road, OXFORD OX1 3PW, UK. Tel: 01865 272 978 -- From: pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net [pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net] On Behalf Of Monika Åkerlund [monika.akerl...@nrm.se] Sent: 06 July 2010 15:39 To: pestlist@museumpests.net Subject: FW: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Dear all, I have looked at a closer photo of one of the beetles. It is neither an Anthrenus nor an Anobium punctatum . The beetles should be identified by an entomologist. Best wishes Monika Åkerlund Monika Åkerlund Curator Research Div./Preventive Conservation Group Swedish Museum of Natural History Box 50007 SE-104 05 Stockholm Sweden Tel. +46 (0)8 519 542 01 Fax.+46 (0)8 519 540 85 E-mail. monika.akerl...@nrm.se www.nrm.se www.nrm.se/premal -- From: pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net [mailto:pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net] On Behalf Of Julianne Phippard Sent: den 6 juli 2010 15:29 To: pestlist@museumpests.net Subject: RE: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Elisabeth, From the photos of the beetles and damage, they look like furniture beetle to me (anobium punctatum). The larvae will have been living in the wood, tunnelling undetected (sometimes for years) and the adults are only now emerging, perhaps triggered by the temperature change as the wood came into your museum or the arrival of summer weather. However, if your gallery is fairly stable with a moderate relative humidity (under 50% RH) then they will probably not survive to lay eggs anywhere else, and in the UK we usually do not find infestations surviving in centrally heated buildings because the RH goes quite low over the winter. However, if your building is humid most of the year or damp in some areas, you should be watching your pest traps very closely in the spring from now on. You will not be able to tell if the larvae are living in the wood and will only know you have a problem when the adults emerge. These beetles are a wood boring species and I believe they are unlikely to attack historic natural history collections. However, we recently had a problem with new taxidermy birds mounted on fresh wooden mounts (tree branches), where the beetles were living in the mounts and emerged when the specimens came into the museum. Fortunately, we had quarantined these new acquisitions, so they did
Re: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum...
David - The beetle in question is commonly called the Ash Bark Beetle. I think it's Leperisinus fraxini, instead of varius, simply because of the pattern on the elytra. Tom Parker -Original Message- From: David Pinniger da...@pinniger.globalnet.co.uk To: pestlist@museumpests.net Sent: Wed, Jul 7, 2010 12:56 pm Subject: Re: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Elisabeth, It could be a Scolytid beetle, they look like this and will emerge from wood with bark in huge numbers. I do not have any pictures of any with such markings. You could ask Uwe Noldt in Germany, he is the best woodborer expert I know in Europe. David - Original Message - From: E. Abgottspon To: pestlist@museumpests.net Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 2010 4:35 PM Subject: RE: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Dear pestlist-Members Thank you very much for your fast answers from around the world! I was looking for pictures of the anobium punctatum and the Anthrenus verbasci in the Internet and I dont’ think the beetles are anobii. But, maybe I’ve got both of them and the anobii aren’t beetles yet……. There is a lot of „wooden powder“ on the wood… L I didnt’ want to sent pictures which are too heavy… but unfortunately then you see even less… I send you one which is not reduced concering the size, but even then you can’t see it properly I guess. The beetle itself is about 3 millimeters in length. I called an expert who is coming today – so I will soon know more about the specimen and the problems/risks, I hope… But I’m glad to have some help from museum-experts as well! Best regards and thank you again Elisabeth Abgottspon Von: pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net [mailto:pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net] Im Auftrag von James Hogan Gesendet: Dienstag, 6. Juli 2010 17:13 An: pestlist@museumpests.net Betreff: RE: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Dear Elisabeth, I agree with Monika Åkerlund, it is essential to get a correct identification of the beetles. Only then will you know where they are coming from and what action, if any, is necessary. They do not look like Anthrenus or Anobium because they are the wrong shape and they have what appears to be a strong spherical antennal club. But more than that it is difficult to say because the photos are not very clear (i know it is difficult to get good photos of small insects without specialist equipment). Perhaps you could send specimens to your national museum to get them identified? Let us know how you get on, James Hogan James Hogan Hope Entomological Collections Oxford University Museum of Natural History Parks Road, OXFORD OX1 3PW, UK. Tel: 01865 272 978 From: pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net [pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net] On Behalf Of Monika Åkerlund [monika.akerl...@nrm.se] Sent: 06 July 2010 15:39 To: pestlist@museumpests.net Subject: FW: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Dear all, I have looked at a closer photo of one of the beetles. It is neither an Anthrenus nor an Anobium punctatum . The beetles should be identified by an entomologist. Best wishes Monika Åkerlund Monika Åkerlund Curator Research Div./Preventive Conservation Group Swedish Museum of Natural History Box 50007 SE-104 05 Stockholm Sweden Tel. +46 (0)8 519 542 01 Fax.+46 (0)8 519 540 85 E-mail. monika.akerl...@nrm.se www.nrm.se www.nrm.se/premal From: pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net [mailto:pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net] On Behalf Of Julianne Phippard Sent: den 6 juli 2010 15:29 To: pestlist@museumpests.net Subject: RE: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Elisabeth, From the photos of the beetles and damage, they look like furniture beetle to me (anobium punctatum). The larvae will have been living in the wood, tunnelling undetected (sometimes for years) and the adults are only now emerging, perhaps triggered by the temperature change as the wood came into your museum or the arrival of summer weather. However, if your gallery is fairly stable with a moderate relative humidity (under 50% RH) then they will probably not survive to lay eggs anywhere else, and in the UK we usually do not find infestations surviving in centrally heated buildings because the RH goes quite low over the winter. However, if your building is humid most of the year or damp in some areas, you should be watching your pest traps very closely in the spring from now on. You will not be able to tell if the larvae are living in the wood and will only know you have a problem when the adults emerge. These beetles are a wood boring species and I believe they are unlikely to attack historic natural history collections. However, we recently had a problem with new taxidermy birds mounted on fresh wooden mounts (tree branches), where the beetles were living in the mounts and emerged when the specimens came into the museum. Fortunately, we had quarantined these new acquisitions, so they did not infest any other collections. Also, we
Re: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum...
This is a message from the Pest Management Database 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. --- Regarding the species, I wonder if anyone noticed any sound production by the beetle before finding them dead? Zeitschrift für Angewandte Entomologie Volume 87 Issue 1-4, Pages 417 - 429 The ash bark beetles Leperisinus fraxini and Hylesinus oleiperda: stridulatory organs, acoustic signals, and pheromone production J. A. Rudinsky1,2 and V. Vallo1,2 1Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97 331, U.S.A. 2Institute of Exp. Phytopathology and Entomology, SAV, Ivanka pri Dunaji, USSR ABSTRACT Both Leperisinus fraxini and Hylesinus oleiperda possess the elytral-abdominal type of stridulatory apparatus with the pars stridens on the posterior medial undersurface of the elytra and the plectrum in two conical processes on the 7th tergite, similar to species of Dendroctonus, Pseudohylesinus, and Hylurgops. The stress and revalry chirps of L. fraxini are single multi-pulse chirps similar in toothstrike number, duration, and rate, but the attraction chirps are double and significantly different in number and duration. Both stress and attraction chirps of Hylesinus oleiperda are double chirps and differ significantly from those of L. fraxini in several parameters. L. fraxini is a bigamous species, one male with two females, and each female occupies one arm of the biramous gallery. The female L. fraxini produces the aggregative pheromone. David - The beetle in question is commonly called the Ash Bark Beetle. I think it's Leperisinus fraxini, instead of varius, simply because of the pattern on the elytra. Tom Parker -Original Message- From: David Pinniger da...@pinniger.globalnet.co.uk To: pestlist@museumpests.net Sent: Wed, Jul 7, 2010 12:56 pm Subject: Re: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Elisabeth, It could be a Scolytid beetle, they look like this and will emerge from wood with bark in huge numbers. I do not have any pictures of any with such markings. You could ask Uwe Noldt in Germany, he is the best woodborer expert I know in Europe. David - Original Message - From: E. Abgottspon To: pestlist@museumpests.net Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 2010 4:35 PM Subject: RE: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Dear pestlist-Members Thank you very much for your fast answers from around the world! I was looking for pictures of the anobium punctatum and the Anthrenus verbasci in the Internet and I dontâ think the beetles are anobii. But, maybe Iâve got both of them and the anobii arenât beetles yetâ¦â¦. There is a lot of âwooden powderâ on the wood⦠L I didntâ want to sent pictures which are too heavy⦠but unfortunately then you see even less⦠I send you one which is not reduced concering the size, but even then you canât see it properly I guess. The beetle itself is about 3 millimeters in length. I called an expert who is coming today â so I will soon know more about the specimen and the problems/risks, I hope⦠But Iâm glad to have some help from museum-experts as well! Best regards and thank you again Elisabeth Abgottspon Von: pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net [mailto:pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net] Im Auftrag von James Hogan Gesendet: Dienstag, 6. Juli 2010 17:13 An: pestlist@museumpests.net Betreff: RE: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Dear Elisabeth, I agree with Monika à kerlund, it is essential to get a correct identification of the beetles. Only then will you know where they are coming from and what action, if any, is necessary. They do not look like Anthrenus or Anobium because they are the wrong shape and they have what appears to be a strong spherical antennal club. But more than that it is difficult to say because the photos are not very clear (i know it is difficult to get good photos of small insects without specialist equipment). Perhaps you could send specimens to your national museum to get them identified? Let us know how you get on, James Hogan James Hogan Hope Entomological Collections Oxford University Museum of Natural History Parks Road, OXFORD OX1 3PW, UK. Tel: 01865 272 978 From: pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net [pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net] On Behalf Of Monika à kerlund [monika.akerl...@nrm.se] Sent: 06 July 2010 15:39 To: pestlist@museumpests.net Subject: FW: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Dear all, I have looked at a closer photo of one of the beetles. It is neither an Anthrenus nor an Anobium punctatum . The beetles should be identified by an entomologist. Best wishes Monika à kerlund Monika à kerlund Curator Research Div./Preventive Conservation Group Swedish Museum of Natural History Box 50007 SE-104 05 Stockholm Sweden Tel. +46 (0)8 519
Re: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum...
This is a message from the Pest Management Database 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. --- If the images were a bit clearer... but anyway the beetles look like an anobiid of some sort, not dermestid beetle species. Dear members of the pestlist Im the curator of a little a Museum in Switzerland, but not knowing much about pests. It would be great if you can help me concerning a bug-problem. At the moment, we show an exhibition about different phenomenas in the near nature environment of the museum (Kuesnacht, Switzerland). As the subject is nature, our designers decided to use nature materials and I agreed to do so. Now, I wouldnt do it anymore Because: we now have bugs in the exhibition-room. A biologist told me that they must be Anthrenus, probably Anthrenus verbasci. The grubs/worms must be in the wood we used and the bugs are lying near the window, most of them dead. As the removing of the wood would probably be the end of the exhibition (it should actually not end before october ), I would like to know the risks and the problems and what else I could do instead of removing the wood Fortunately we dont have our collection/museum-objects in this room except some « dead birds ». And it wouldnt be a problem, if the worms will stay in the wood and eat this wood, in which theyve come into the museum. Do the worms eat only the bark of the wood will it be a big problem for the room itself (wooden ceiling ), because now the bugs are lying their eggs everywhere? And will they destroy the objects of our next exhibition in this room? What are they eating actually? What do I have to do concerning the room ? I send you a few pictures it would be great, if you could help me or tell me who I could/should ask. A big « thankyou » in advance and please excuse my English Best regards Elisabeth Abgottspon (grundsätzlich am Dienstag, Mittwoch und Donnerstag im Ortsmuseum) Öffnungszeiten des Museums: Mittwoch, Samstag und Sonntag von 14 Uhr bis 17 Uhr. --- Elisabeth Abgottspon Kuratorin/Museumsleiterin Ortsmuseum Kuesnacht Tobelweg 1 8700 Küsnacht Tel. 0041 44 910 59 70 -- Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail Louis N. Sorkin, B.C.E. Entomology Section Division of Invertebrate Zoology American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th Street New York, NY 10024-5192 phone: 212-769-5613 fax: 212-769-5277 email: sor...@amnh.org The New York Entomological Society, Inc. email: n...@amnh.org web: www.nyentsoc.org Online journal from 2001 forward www.BioOne.org - To send an email to the list, send your msg to pestl...@museumpests.com To unsubscribe from this list send an email to imail...@museumpests.net and in the body put: unsubscribe pestlist Any problems email l...@zaks.com
RE: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum...
Dear Elisabeth, I agree with Monika Åkerlund, it is essential to get a correct identification of the beetles. Only then will you know where they are coming from and what action, if any, is necessary. They do not look like Anthrenus or Anobium because they are the wrong shape and they have what appears to be a strong spherical antennal club. But more than that it is difficult to say because the photos are not very clear (i know it is difficult to get good photos of small insects without specialist equipment). Perhaps you could send specimens to your national museum to get them identified? Let us know how you get on, James Hogan James Hogan Hope Entomological Collections Oxford University Museum of Natural History Parks Road, OXFORD OX1 3PW, UK. Tel: 01865 272 978 From: pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net [pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net] On Behalf Of Monika Åkerlund [monika.akerl...@nrm.se] Sent: 06 July 2010 15:39 To: pestlist@museumpests.net Subject: FW: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Dear all, I have looked at a closer photo of one of the beetles. It is neither an Anthrenus nor an Anobium punctatum . The beetles should be identified by an entomologist. Best wishes Monika Åkerlund Monika Åkerlund Curator Research Div./Preventive Conservation Group Swedish Museum of Natural History Box 50007 SE-104 05 Stockholm Sweden Tel. +46 (0)8 519 542 01 Fax.+46 (0)8 519 540 85 E-mail. monika.akerl...@nrm.se www.nrm.se www.nrm.se/premal From: pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net [mailto:pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net] On Behalf Of Julianne Phippard Sent: den 6 juli 2010 15:29 To: pestlist@museumpests.net Subject: RE: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Elisabeth, From the photos of the beetles and damage, they look like furniture beetle to me (anobium punctatum). The larvae will have been living in the wood, tunnelling undetected (sometimes for years) and the adults are only now emerging, perhaps triggered by the temperature change as the wood came into your museum or the arrival of summer weather. However, if your gallery is fairly stable with a moderate relative humidity (under 50% RH) then they will probably not survive to lay eggs anywhere else, and in the UK we usually do not find infestations surviving in centrally heated buildings because the RH goes quite low over the winter. However, if your building is humid most of the year or damp in some areas, you should be watching your pest traps very closely in the spring from now on. You will not be able to tell if the larvae are living in the wood and will only know you have a problem when the adults emerge. These beetles are a wood boring species and I believe they are unlikely to attack historic natural history collections. However, we recently had a problem with new taxidermy birds mounted on fresh wooden mounts (tree branches), where the beetles were living in the mounts and emerged when the specimens came into the museum. Fortunately, we had quarantined these new acquisitions, so they did not infest any other collections. Also, we usually freeze props and display materials that might pose a risk to our collections to prevent the introduction of pests into our galleries or stores. A fact sheet on this pest can be found here: http://www.collectionslink.org.uk/index.cfm?ct=assets.assetDisplay/title/Pest%20Fact%20sheet%20No%202%20Furniture%20beetle%2FWoodworm/assetId/377 There are fact sheets on other major museum pests on this website as well as other information you may find helpful. Best of luck, Julie Phippard Senior Preventive Conservator Conservation Scientific Research The British Museum Great Russell Street London WC1B 3DG 02073238278 From: pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net [mailto:pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net] On Behalf Of E. Abgottspon Sent: 06 July 2010 09:40 To: pestlist@museumpests.net Subject: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Dear members of the pestlist I’m the „curator“ of a little a Museum in Switzerland, but not knowing much about pests. It would be great if you can help me concerning a bug-problem. At the moment, we show an exhibition about different „phenomenas“ in the near nature environment of the museum (Kuesnacht, Switzerland). As the subject is „nature“, our designers decided to use „nature materials“ and I agreed to do so. Now, I wouldn’t do it anymore… Because: we now have bugs in the exhibition-room. A biologist told me that they must be Anthrenus, probably Anthrenus verbasci. The grubs/worms must be in the wood we used and the bugs are lying near the window, most of them dead. As the removing of the wood would probably be the end of the exhibition (it should actually not end before october…), I would like to know the risks and the problems and what else I could do instead of removing the wood… Fortunately we don’t have our collection/museum-objects in this room except some « dead birds
Re: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum...
Elisabeth - Apparently some of the members of the pest list had photos of the critters. I never received them. Birds nests often have Anthrenus in them, feeding on the feathers. I'd get rid of them. Some others have said you also have a wood-boring beetle. Would love to see the photos. Tom Parker -Original Message- From: E. Abgottspon e.abgotts...@ortsmuseum-kuesnacht.ch To: pestlist@museumpests.net Sent: Tue, Jul 6, 2010 9:49 am Subject: AW: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Dear Thomas Thank you very much for your fast answer! As I received a quite similar answer, I checked again the exhibition… and we also have 4 bird’s nests. I’m just wondering how it comes that there are so many beetles just because of probably two bird’s nests??? Will the bugs be a risk for the objects in our next exhibition or can I solve the problem in removing the nests? And it also seems that I have two different problems (bugs and worms). But are the worms in the wood in this case less „dangerous“ for the room and the objects? I called now a firm which is specialised in eliminating pest problems… But I’m glad to have some help from museum-experts as well!! Thank you again and best regards from Switzerland Elisabeth Abgottspon Von: pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net [mailto:pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net] Im Auftrag von bugma...@aol.com Gesendet: Dienstag, 6. Juli 2010 14:09 An: pestlist@museumpests.net Betreff: Re: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Elisabeth - If they are indeed Anthrenus verbasci, they are NOT coming from the wood. They most likely are coming from the dead birds. Anthrenus larvae eat protein, i.e. the dead bird feathers, skins, and entrails. The adult beetles are attracted to light, hence they end up on the window sills and in the light fixtures. Remove the dead birds. Thomas A. Parker, PhD President, Entomologist Pest Control Services, Inc. -Original Message- From: E. Abgottspon e.abgotts...@ortsmuseum-kuesnacht.ch To: pestlist@museumpests.net Sent: Tue, Jul 6, 2010 4:40 am Subject: [pestlist] WG: bugs in the museum... Dear members of the pestlist I’m the „curator“ of a little a Museum in Switzerland, but not knowing much about pests. It would be great if you can help me concerning a bug-problem. At the moment, we show an exhibition about different „phenomenas“ in the near nature environment of the museum (Kuesnacht, Switzerland). As the subject is „nature“, our designers decided to use „nature materials“ and I agreed to do so. Now, I wouldn’t do it anymore… Because: we now have bugs in the exhibition-room. A biologist told me that they must be Anthrenus, probably Anthrenus verbasci. The grubs/worms must be in the wood we used and the bugs are lying near the window, most of them dead. As the removing of the wood would probably be the end of the exhibition (it should actually not end before october…), I would like to know the risks and the problems and what else I could do instead of removing the wood… Fortunately we don’t have our collection/museum-objects in this room except some « dead birds ». And it wouldn’t be a problem, if the worms will stay in the wood and eat this wood, in which they’ve come into the museum. Do the worms eat only the bark of the wood – will it be a big problem for the room itself (wooden ceiling…), because now the bugs are lying their eggs everywhere? And will they destroy the objects of our next exhibition in this room? What are they eating actually? What do I have to do concerning the room…? I send you a few pictures – it would be great, if you could help me or tell me who I could/should ask. A big « thankyou » in advance and please excuse my English… Best regards Elisabeth Abgottspon (grundsätzlich am Dienstag, Mittwoch und Donnerstag im Ortsmuseum) Öffnungszeiten des Museums: Mittwoch, Samstag und Sonntag von 14 Uhr bis 17 Uhr. --- Elisabeth Abgottspon Kuratorin/Museumsleiterin Ortsmuseum Kuesnacht Tobelweg 1 8700 Küsnacht Tel. 0041 44 910 59 70
