If your RH is consistently below 45-50% in the monitored space, but you're still seeing periodic increases in the psocid population there may be a few things going on- the insects are being introduced in new acquisitions. Do you have a quarantine procedure and space for processing new acquisitions/food sources? There may also be cracks and crevices that lead to spaces in the walls that have a higher RH and food source (like fungus or starch based adhesives (wall paper paste, sizing, etc.) conducive for breeding. Have you had a thorough structural inspection of the spaces in question by a PCO? You may have overlooked pipe chases leading out from higher RH spaces. To answer your original question, a portable electronic hygrometer probe can help you identify microenvironments where there may be higher moisture and poor air circulation, and the RH within rooms adjacent to the collections space.
On Wed, Nov 12, 2014 at 1:42 PM, <pestlist@museumpests.net> wrote: > > We have been monitoring our entire building with data loggers for about > seven years now. The problem is that in spite of low RH readings, we still > see periodic increases of psocid activity, which is indicated through our > pest monitoring program. The traps definitely give us a sense of target > areas within the room that have higher numbers of psocids, but we haven’t > been able to figure out why they are in the space. So I am wondering if > more targeted RH readings might reveal if we have isolated microclimates, > which we could then address with desiccants or improved air circulation. > > > > *From:* pestlist@museumpests.net [mailto:pestlist@museumpests.net] > *Sent:* Wednesday, November 12, 2014 1:59 PM > *To:* pestlist@museumpests.net > *Subject:* Re: [pestlist] RE: Booklice - Pest List Digest Mode > > > > > > Amber, > > > > > > You can certainly purchase an electronic hygrometer for spot readings, but > I'd suggest that you set up a long-term data logger monitoring program that > will allow you to collect and analyze data for a more accurate > environmental assessment and HVAC trouble-shooting. Here at the Minnesota > Historical Society, I use the IPI eClimate Notebook (eCNB) data management > program and the PEM2 loggers at 17 of our historic sites for both > collections and building envelope monitoring. The website has valuable > information on monitoring programs and how the system works. > > > > Paul Storch > > Sites Collections and Exhibits Liaison > > MNHS, St. Paul, MN > > > > On Wed, Nov 12, 2014 at 12:06 PM, <pestlist@museumpests.net> wrote: > > > Hi Carolyn, > > Your psocid problem sounds a lot like ours. How did you go about > discovering localized high RH issues? Did you take any measurements around > the space or was it just a visual inspection? I'm wondering if it's worth > investing in a handheld digital hygrometer. > > Also, if anyone has recommendations for a reasonably-priced handheld > digital hygrometer, would you pass them along? > > Thanks! > Amber > > > the warhol: > Amber E. Morgan > Collections Manager > 117 Sandusky Street > Pittsburgh, PA 15212 > T 412.237.8306 > F 412.237.8340 > E morg...@warhol.org > W www.warhol.org > The Andy Warhol Museum > One of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh > Email newsletter http://members.carnegiemuseums.org/email > Membership http://members.carnegiemuseums.org/SupportCMP > warhol: facebook | warhol: twitter > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: pestlist@museumpests.net [mailto:pestlist@museumpests.net] > Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2014 10:43 AM > To: pestlist@museumpests.net > Cc: Luci Cipera > Subject: [pestlist] Booklice - Pest List Digest Mode > > > Hi Megan > > My practical experience agrees with Richards email. > > We occasionally get outbreaks of booklice that seem to grow quickly and > then disappear in our Archives storage. > > Consultation with CCI has convinced us not worry about these as a risk of > major damage, because the mouth parts of the booklice are so small it would > take a major prolonged infestation to cause damage. For that reason we have > rebranded them as "Psocids" not book lice, just to keep them it in > perspective. > > However, they are a real indicator of RH issues that could lead to more > significant pest damage from silverfish or springtails. > In our case we simply could not figure out how we would have a pest that > was an indicator of high RH in a storage vault with good RH control 35% > plus/minus 5% winter, 45% plus/minus 5% summer. We then started looking > for sources of "localized high RH" and sure enough with that perspective we > found it (a plastic tube, designed to carry overflow water from a drip pan > under an localized HVAC unit carries overflow water into a bucket "inside" > the storage room e.g. occasional wet damp bucket breeds booklice). With > this knowledge we are trying to get the wet damp bucket to be located > outside the storage room. > > Hope this helps > > Carolyn Leckie > > > -----Original Message----- > From: pestlist@museumpests.net [mailto:pestlist@museumpests.net] > Sent: November-11-14 7:35 PM > To: pestlist@museumpests.net > Subject: Pest List Digest Mode > > PestList Digest > > > From: Richard Pollack <r...@identify.us.com> > Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2014 10:42:16 -0500 > Subject: Re: [pestlist] Book Lice > > Megan, > Book lice should be expected in and around any museum, library, office or > home. A few in a library setting shouldn't necessarily cause alarm, but it > would be wise to continue monitoring the archived materials as well as the > general environment. If you see book lice more than occasionally in the > archived materials, then consider trying to reduce the overall humidity in > the facility. That is usually the most practical and acceptable means to > maintain the population of book lice at or below an acceptable threshold > level. I realize this can be challenging in Bremerton, but it is > possible.Good luck. > -Rich > > Richard Pollack, PhD. > CEO & Chief Scientific Officer > IdentifyUS, LLC > 320 Needham Street > Suite 200 > Newton, MA 02464-1593 > ------------------ > 617.600.6360 (W) > 617.513.9266 (M) > > > > > HARVARD UNIVERSITY > Environmental Health, Safety and Emergency Management (EHSEM) Senior > Environmental Public Health Officer > 46 Blackstone St., South > Cambridge, MA 02139 > Office: 617-495-2995 Cell: 617-447-0763 www.ehs.harvard.edu > richard_poll...@harvard.edu > > > On Nov 5, 2014, at 10:30, pestlist@museumpests.net wrote: > > > > > Hello everyone! > > > > I am wondering if anyone has experience dealing with Book Lice. We have > been finding them in our traps, but we have not been able to find out where > they are coming from or what they are feeding on. The area we found them in > has a number of large map cases and file drawers, but I could not find any > traces of them inside the actual cabinets. Aside from setting more traps > throughout the area and placing silica gel inside certain cabinets(to bring > down the relative humidity), I have no idea what to do. > > > > Any help at all would be much appreciated! > > > > Thank you, > > > > Megan Jablonski > > Collections Manager > > Puget Sound Navy Museum > > Naval History & Heritage Command > > 251 1st Street > > Bremerton, WA 98337 > > p. (360) 627-2272 > > f. (360) 627-2273 > > > > www.PugetSoundNavyMuseum.org > > www.history.navy.mil/PSNM > > www.facebook.com/pugetsoundnavymuseum > > > > FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY - PRIVACY SENSITIVE: ANY MISUSE OR UNAUTHORIZED > DISCLOSURE MAY RESULT IN BOTH CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES. > > > > > > > > > > > [ > http://nature.ca/email/signatures/natureinspiration/nia_email_signature.jpg > ]< > http://nature.ca/awards?utm_source=Email+Signature+Graphic&utm_medium=CMN+Email&utm_campaign=NIA > > > > More information< > http://nature.ca/awards?utm_source=Email+Signature+English+Text&utm_medium=CMN+Email&utm_campaign=NIA> > Info< > http://nature.ca/prix?utm_source=Email+Signature+French+Text&utm_medium=CMN+Email&utm_campaign=NIA > > > > > > > > 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. > > > > > > > -- > > Paul S. Storch > > Project Specialist III /Sites Collections and Exhibits Liaison > > Facilities-Historic Properties Department > > Facilities and Risk Management Division > > Minnesota Historical Society > > 345 Kellogg Blvd. West > > Saint Paul, MN 55102-1906 > > (651) 259-3257 > > paul.sto...@mnhs.org > > > > Visit Historic Sites! > > www.mnhs.org > > > > > > > > > > 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. > > -- Paul S. Storch Project Specialist III /Sites Collections and Exhibits Liaison Facilities-Historic Properties Department Facilities and Risk Management Division Minnesota Historical Society 345 Kellogg Blvd. West Saint Paul, MN 55102-1906 (651) 259-3257 paul.sto...@mnhs.org Visit Historic Sites! www.mnhs.org
