Insects Limited hosts IPM workshop for museum pests

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April 19, 2019

PHOTO: INSECTS LIMITED

Attendees identify museum pests during the IPM in Museums and Historic Homes workshop. PHOTO: INSECTS LIMITED

IPM in Museums and Historic Homes is an integrated pest management (IPM) two-day workshop for museum, library and archive professionals.

Hosted by Insects Limited and MuseumPests Working Group, the most recent workshop took place March 11-12. Attendees learned about establishing or improving IPM programs.

Rachael Arenstein, museum conservator, A. M. Art Conservation, and Insects Limited President Pat Kelley, BCE, taught the following:

  • Pest ID and biology;
  • Pest monitoring and prevention;
  • IPM policies and procedures;
  • Identifying risk zones and vulnerable collections;
  • Recognizing pest damage and conservation issues;
  • Remedial treatment.
PHOTO: INSECTS LIMITED

Rachael Arenstein, museum conservator, addresses attendees at IPM in Museums and Historic Homes workshop. PHOTO: INSECTS LIMITED

Pest species typically associated with museums include:

  • Varied carpet beetle (Anthrenus verbasci);
  • Odd beetle (Thylodrias contractus);
  • Hide beetle (Dermestes maculatus);
  • Webbing clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella);
  • Case-making clothes moth (Tinea pellionella);
  • Powderpost beetle (Lyctus spp);
  • Furniture beetle (Anobium punctatum);
  • Old house borer (Hylotrupes bajulus).

The second part of the week, March 13-15, the MuseumPests Working Group toured the Insects Limited lab and held meetings at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (Newfields).

MuseumPests Working Group meets annually and consists of collection managers, conservators and entomologists interested in IPM for museums, libraries, archives and other collection-holding institutions.

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