New Developments in Pest Management For Collections in Museums and Historic Houses

Abstract:
The concept of “Risk Zones” to evaluate and set priorities for preventing damage to collections across the whole museum has been used as a very useful tool by a number of major museums in London. Pest monitoring using sticky traps is well organised and documented, and many organisations in the UK use a system similar to, or based on, the one developed by English Heritage. Prevention is always better than cure, but there can still be a need for residual treatment with sprays or dusts. There has been pressure to move away from persistent and toxic insecticides for treatment of objects. The development of treatment techniques anoxia, freezing and heat, has given museums a number of very safe options which will kill all pests in objects if they are carried out correctly. Solar heating has promise for developing countries. IPM prevention together with treatment regimes based on anoxia and low and high temperatures should ensure that historic collections will be safely preserved for the future.