This is likely to be an old infestation. If there are old tunnels and damaged wood, when the piece is moved around vibrations shake some of the old frass and detritus loose. This happens fairly frequently with a few of our older pieces. An older method for “fixing” bore holes used to be to plug them with a wax-resin mix, could that be what some of your pellets are and they have shaken out?
From: pestlist@googlegroups.com <pestlist@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Fusco, Maria Sent: Friday, February 01, 2019 12:22 PM To: pestl...@museumpests.net; pestlist@googlegroups.com Subject: [pestlist] Id help: Frass and other un'id substance Hello all, Hoping someone with more expertise in wood boring insects can offer thoughts. We have an external loan in, a painting on canvas within a glazed frame. Our registrar noted what seem to be older bore holes in the frame and found detritus both in between the glass of the frame and the canvas as well as underneath the painting in its travel crate. We've not found live insects but the detritus appears to be frass and some hard pellets (~5mm long, ~2mm diameter). Before examination, we wondered if the pellets could be dessicated larvae but they look more like adhesive plugs and we don't note any larval shapes, body parts inside. Images attached. Apologies if they're not great, we're in process on a microscope upgrade. Does this cry out anything to anyone? Many thanks, Maria -- Maria Fusco Chief Conservator Margaret Wing Dodge Chair in Conservation Foggy Bottom: 701 21st Street, NW • Washington, DC 20052 Avenir Center: 44930 Knoll Square • Ashburn, VA 20147 571-553-0278 • fus...@gwu.edu<mailto:fus...@gwu.edu> • museum.gwu.edu<http://museum.gwu.edu> [Image removed by sender.] -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Museumpests" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to pestlist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<mailto:pestlist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com>. To post to this group, send email to pestlist@googlegroups.com<mailto:pestlist@googlegroups.com>. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/pestlist. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/CAO0UmvWps4brY9JCvnGGdbn36c%3DBydLy6d0XpGkqLiMatbu%2B2A%40mail.gmail.com<https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/CAO0UmvWps4brY9JCvnGGdbn36c%3DBydLy6d0XpGkqLiMatbu%2B2A%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Museumpests" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to pestlist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to pestlist@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/pestlist. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/70f22e74367b454883fda67c173a5f07%40thewalters.org. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
