RE: [pestlist] invasion of bugs at house 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. --- Return Receipt Your RE: [pestlist] invasion of bugs at house museum document: wassarah_m_al...@nps.gov received by: at:10/12/2010 01:00:22 PM MDT - 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] invasion of bugs at house museum
Fellow listservers, I sent the following message about bugs in my house museum to the museumpest listserv, but wanted to broaden my pool of responses. I will appreciate any responses and apologize for duplicate emails! Hayley Chambers On Wed, Oct 6, 2010 at 9:23 AM, wrote: > In response to removal of boxelder trees. Boxelder bugs will not only feed > on the seed pods of female boxelder trees, they will also feed on maple tree > seed pods. They can fly long distances and therefore removal of female > boxelder trees may or may not solve the problem. > > In the Midwest, because the land is so flat, many of the river systems flow > slowly and have large floodplains. These situations are ideal for boxelder > trees, which favor semi-wet areas. The boxelder bugs actually began their > invasion of the U.S. in the Chicago area. It took them almost 20 years to > get over the Appalachains and we now have them as a problem on the East > Coast. As natural predators and diseases take their toll, over the years > they will become much less a nuisance. > > We're seeing the same kind of population explosion now with the brown > marmorated stink bug, which got its start in the Allentown, PA area and is > rapidly moving into new territories. > > Tom Parker > > > > -Original Message- > From: Storch, Paul > To: 'pestlist@museumpests.net' > Sent: Wed, Oct 6, 2010 10:22 am > Subject: RE: [pestlist] invasion of bugs at house museum > > I’m responsible for overseeing the IPM vendor contract and in-house > program at our state-wide network of historic sites. We also have historic > houses and buildings that are subjected to the same types of pest loads that > you describe. > I agree with the previous responses about structural exclusion and > trapping. Those are two very essential components of any effective IPM > plan. It sounds like you have the continuous monitoring in place with the > pest log. The suggestions will work over time. > > Two questions that you didn’t address: do you have a strict cleaning (you > did mention vacuuming the bugs regularly, and you’ll still have to do that) > and food policy inside the house? That’s important to reduce food sources > for insects that might be attracted to food residues, and for rodents. > > Secondly, I’ve inferred from your description of the problem that there > might be vegetation growing close to the house. I looked at the image of > the front of the house on your website, and the landscaping appears to be > correct for the period on the street side. It looks like there might be > plants close to the walls around the back. We had severe box elder > invasions in one of our historic homes until we removed the box elders > growing close to the house. The PCO should have made some comments about > vegetation, if it’s indeed a factor. > > Paul S. Storch > Project Specialist II/Collections Liaison > Historic Sites and Museums > B-124.2 > Minnesota Historical Society > 345 Kellogg Blvd. West > St. Paul, MN 55116 > (651) 259-3257 > paul.sto...@mnhs.org > > Visit Historic Sites! <http://www.mnhs.org/visit/> > www.mnhs.org > > > > > > > *From:* pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net [ > mailto:pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net ] *On > Behalf Of *bugma...@aol.com > *Sent:* Tuesday, October 05, 2010 6:47 PM > *To:* pestlist@museumpests.net > *Subject:* Re: [pestlist] invasion of bugs at house museum > > The insect invasion you describe happens every fall when insects seek out > shelter for the winter. Your idea of a black light in the attic is a good > one. Get a supply of glueboards from Atlantic Paste & Glue Company of > Brooklyn, NY. Any firm which supplies the pest control industry will have > them in stock. Surround the black light with glueboards and put the thing > on a timer so it will come on at about 4PM and go off at night. Flies > usually rest at night. Other than sealing your building as tightly as you > can, there's not much you can do about the Autumn invaders. > > A thorough glueboard program throughout the facility is a must in > addition to the attic situation. > > Thomas A. Parker, PhD > Pest Control Services, Inc. > www.museumpestcontrol.com > > -Original Message- > From: Hayley Chambers > To: pestlist@museumpests.net > Sent: Tue, Oct 5, 2010 5:52 pm > Subject: [pestlist] invasion of bugs at house museum > Hello folks, > > I am the new Curator of a house museum in South Dakota that has been > overrun with insects, primarily cluster/wood flies, hornets, box elder bugs, > and pine leaf beetles (stink bugs). We are experiencing warm autumn weather > here and the seasonal pests have been thriving in th
RE: [pestlist] invasion of bugs at house 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. --- Return Receipt Your RE: [pestlist] invasion of bugs at house museum document: wasKirsten Kvam/PORE/NPS received by: at:10/06/2010 01:04:53 PM PDT - 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] invasion of bugs at house 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. --- Return Receipt Your RE: [pestlist] invasion of bugs at house museum document: waskelly_f...@nps.gov received by: at:10/06/2010 11:22:28 AM - 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] invasion of bugs at house museum
In response to removal of boxelder trees. Boxelder bugs will not only feed on the seed pods of female boxelder trees, they will also feed on maple tree seed pods. They can fly long distances and therefore removal of female boxelder trees may or may not solve the problem. In the Midwest, because the land is so flat, many of the river systems flow slowly and have large floodplains. These situations are ideal for boxelder trees, which favor semi-wet areas. The boxelder bugs actually began their invasion of the U.S. in the Chicago area. It took them almost 20 years to get over the Appalachains and we now have them as a problem on the East Coast. As natural predators and diseases take their toll, over the years they will become much less a nuisance. We're seeing the same kind of population explosion now with the brown marmorated stink bug, which got its start in the Allentown, PA area and is rapidly moving into new territories. Tom Parker -Original Message- From: Storch, Paul To: 'pestlist@museumpests.net' Sent: Wed, Oct 6, 2010 10:22 am Subject: RE: [pestlist] invasion of bugs at house museum I’m responsible for overseeing the IPM vendor contract and in-house program at our state-wide network of historic sites. We also have historic houses and buildings that are subjected to the same types of pest loads that you describe. I agree with the previous responses about structural exclusion and trapping. Those are two very essential components of any effective IPM plan. It sounds like you have the continuous monitoring in place with the pest log. The suggestions will work over time. Two questions that you didn’t address: do you have a strict cleaning (you did mention vacuuming the bugs regularly, and you’ll still have to do that) and food policy inside the house? That’s important to reduce food sources for insects that might be attracted to food residues, and for rodents. Secondly, I’ve inferred from your description of the problem that there might be vegetation growing close to the house. I looked at the image of the front of the house on your website, and the landscaping appears to be correct for the period on the street side. It looks like there might be plants close to the walls around the back. We had severe box elder invasions in one of our historic homes until we removed the box elders growing close to the house. The PCO should have made some comments about vegetation, if it’s indeed a factor. Paul S. Storch Project Specialist II/Collections Liaison Historic Sites and Museums B-124.2 Minnesota Historical Society 345 Kellogg Blvd. West St. Paul, MN 55116 (651) 259-3257 paul.sto...@mnhs.org Visit Historic Sites! www.mnhs.org From: pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net [mailto:pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net] On Behalf Of bugma...@aol.com Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 2010 6:47 PM To: pestlist@museumpests.net Subject: Re: [pestlist] invasion of bugs at house museum The insect invasion you describe happens every fall when insects seek out shelter for the winter. Your idea of a black light in the attic is a good one. Get a supply of glueboards from Atlantic Paste & Glue Company of Brooklyn, NY. Any firm which supplies the pest control industry will have them in stock. Surround the black light with glueboards and put the thing on a timer so it will come on at about 4PM and go off at night. Flies usually rest at night. Other than sealing your building as tightly as you can, there's not much you can do about the Autumn invaders. A thorough glueboard program throughout the facility is a must in addition to the attic situation. Thomas A. Parker, PhD Pest Control Services, Inc. www.museumpestcontrol.com -Original Message- From: Hayley Chambers To: pestlist@museumpests.net Sent: Tue, Oct 5, 2010 5:52 pm Subject: [pestlist] invasion of bugs at house museum Hello folks, I am the new Curator of a house museum in South Dakota that has been overrun with insects, primarily cluster/wood flies, hornets, box elder bugs, and pine leaf beetles (stink bugs). We are experiencing warm autumn weather here and the seasonal pests have been thriving in the attic and throughout the warmer parts of the house. This is a giant concern asthetically (try giving a tour of the house without seeing or hearing the bugs fly around!), health-wise (no one has been stung by a hornet...yet), and of course for the artifacts (flies are getting mashed into floors, leaving debris, and may be a food source for larder beetles). We don't have an IPM in place, unfortunately it did not receive board approval. Hopefully, with renewed energy on my part, we can get something in place. >From my understanding, the flies in the house have been an on-going issue >since it was converted into a museum ten years ago. Unfortunately, most of >what I know about the pest problem is institutiona
RE: [pestlist] invasion of bugs at house museum
I'm responsible for overseeing the IPM vendor contract and in-house program at our state-wide network of historic sites. We also have historic houses and buildings that are subjected to the same types of pest loads that you describe. I agree with the previous responses about structural exclusion and trapping. Those are two very essential components of any effective IPM plan. It sounds like you have the continuous monitoring in place with the pest log. The suggestions will work over time. Two questions that you didn't address: do you have a strict cleaning (you did mention vacuuming the bugs regularly, and you'll still have to do that) and food policy inside the house? That's important to reduce food sources for insects that might be attracted to food residues, and for rodents. Secondly, I've inferred from your description of the problem that there might be vegetation growing close to the house. I looked at the image of the front of the house on your website, and the landscaping appears to be correct for the period on the street side. It looks like there might be plants close to the walls around the back. We had severe box elder invasions in one of our historic homes until we removed the box elders growing close to the house. The PCO should have made some comments about vegetation, if it's indeed a factor. Paul S. Storch Project Specialist II/Collections Liaison Historic Sites and Museums B-124.2 Minnesota Historical Society 345 Kellogg Blvd. West St. Paul, MN 55116 (651) 259-3257 paul.sto...@mnhs.org Visit Historic Sites!<http://www.mnhs.org/visit/> www.mnhs.org From: pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net [mailto:pestlist-ow...@museumpests.net] On Behalf Of bugma...@aol.com Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 2010 6:47 PM To: pestlist@museumpests.net Subject: Re: [pestlist] invasion of bugs at house museum The insect invasion you describe happens every fall when insects seek out shelter for the winter. Your idea of a black light in the attic is a good one. Get a supply of glueboards from Atlantic Paste & Glue Company of Brooklyn, NY. Any firm which supplies the pest control industry will have them in stock. Surround the black light with glueboards and put the thing on a timer so it will come on at about 4PM and go off at night. Flies usually rest at night. Other than sealing your building as tightly as you can, there's not much you can do about the Autumn invaders. A thorough glueboard program throughout the facility is a must in addition to the attic situation. Thomas A. Parker, PhD Pest Control Services, Inc. www.museumpestcontrol.com<http://www.museumpestcontrol.com> -Original Message- From: Hayley Chambers To: pestlist@museumpests.net Sent: Tue, Oct 5, 2010 5:52 pm Subject: [pestlist] invasion of bugs at house museum Hello folks, I am the new Curator of a house museum in South Dakota that has been overrun with insects, primarily cluster/wood flies, hornets, box elder bugs, and pine leaf beetles (stink bugs). We are experiencing warm autumn weather here and the seasonal pests have been thriving in the attic and throughout the warmer parts of the house. This is a giant concern asthetically (try giving a tour of the house without seeing or hearing the bugs fly around!), health-wise (no one has been stung by a hornet...yet), and of course for the artifacts (flies are getting mashed into floors, leaving debris, and may be a food source for larder beetles). We don't have an IPM in place, unfortunately it did not receive board approval. Hopefully, with renewed energy on my part, we can get something in place. >From my understanding, the flies in the house have been an on-going issue >since it was converted into a museum ten years ago. Unfortunately, most of >what I know about the pest problem is institutional mythology and very little >has been recorded. What I do know is that until recently treatment has been >superficial- mostly vacuuming when necessary and semi-annual pesticide sprays. >The house was sprayed in the spring and the fall until 2008 because of budget >cuts. Now the house receives a treatment (spraying around the foundation and >inside around base boards and windows) in the fall, though it was not done >last year because of early snow fall. Spraying period is something I would >like to eliminate. Unfortunately, we simply can't afford expensive fly >catchers. Earlier this year, our facilities manager fabricated our own version >of a fly catcher for our attic- a blue light mounted on wood with removable >sticky fly strips. While these do appear to be attracting flies, we don't have >an adequate way to collect them so they form piles of dead flies, which is >just plain gross. I created a Pest Management Log to start keeping track of what kinds of insects we are finding, how many, where, and when. I have also me
Re: [pestlist] invasion of bugs at house museum
The insect invasion you describe happens every fall when insects seek out shelter for the winter. Your idea of a black light in the attic is a good one. Get a supply of glueboards from Atlantic Paste & Glue Company of Brooklyn, NY. Any firm which supplies the pest control industry will have them in stock. Surround the black light with glueboards and put the thing on a timer so it will come on at about 4PM and go off at night. Flies usually rest at night. Other than sealing your building as tightly as you can, there's not much you can do about the Autumn invaders. A thorough glueboard program throughout the facility is a must in addition to the attic situation. Thomas A. Parker, PhD Pest Control Services, Inc. www.museumpestcontrol.com -Original Message- From: Hayley Chambers To: pestlist@museumpests.net Sent: Tue, Oct 5, 2010 5:52 pm Subject: [pestlist] invasion of bugs at house museum Hello folks, I am the new Curator of a house museum in South Dakota that has been overrun with insects, primarily cluster/wood flies, hornets, box elder bugs, and pine leaf beetles (stink bugs). We are experiencing warm autumn weather here and the seasonal pests have been thriving in the attic and throughout the warmer parts of the house. This is a giant concern asthetically (try giving a tour of the house without seeing or hearing the bugs fly around!), health-wise (no one has been stung by a hornet...yet), and of course for the artifacts (flies are getting mashed into floors, leaving debris, and may be a food source for larder beetles). We don't have an IPM in place, unfortunately it did not receive board approval. Hopefully, with renewed energy on my part, we can get something in place. >From my understanding, the flies in the house have been an on-going issue >since it was converted into a museum ten years ago. Unfortunately, most of >what I know about the pest problem is institutional mythology and very little >has been recorded. What I do know is that until recently treatment has been >superficial- mostly vacuuming when necessary and semi-annual pesticide sprays. >The house was sprayed in the spring and the fall until 2008 because of budget >cuts. Now the house receives a treatment (spraying around the foundation and >inside around base boards and windows) in the fall, though it was not done >last year because of early snow fall. Spraying period is something I would >like to eliminate. Unfortunately, we simply can't afford expensive fly >catchers. Earlier this year, our facilities manager fabricated our own version >of a fly catcher for our attic- a blue light mounted on wood with removable >sticky fly strips. While these do appear to be attracting flies, we don't have >an adequate way to collect them so they form piles of dead flies, which is >just plain gross. I created a Pest Management Log to start keeping track of what kinds of insects we are finding, how many, where, and when. I have also met with our pest elimination specialist, who has sprayed at the house and our sister museum for years. We went around the house to identify routes of entry, but I would also like to know what is allowing them to continue to live and breed in the house. The treatment of an active pest infestation without understanding the cause of the problem is of limited value in the long run. My goal is to be proactive and address these problems for a longer-term solution than simply vacuuming up the bugs once, twice, three times a day. I know that my situation is not unique. Bugs are a problem wherever you go, especially in older buildings. I am writing to those of you out there that may have experienced something similar and are willing to share (horror) stories. I also want to know what resources are available that are geared specifically towards museum pests (aside from museumpests.net, of course). Also, we are on the National Register, so what are we allowed to do then? And what about the more unusual pests- box elder and stink bugs- how harmful are they to museum collections aside from leaving a residue? Are there "acceptable" levels for these pests to be in the House? Lots of questions, but any response will be helpful. Thanks for your time! Hayley Chambers -- Hayley Chambers Historic Adams House Curator Adams Museum & House 22 Van Buren Avenue Deadwood, SD 57732 605/578-3724 hay...@theadamsdeadwood.org http://www.adamsmuseumandhouse.org/
Re: [pestlist] invasion of bugs at house museum
Hayley, yours is a problem that is not unique. Spray, spray, spray -- that is all that many pest control operators can think of. Every pest that you have mentioned, with the exception of the hornets, is simply looking for a place to hibernate, not to live and breed. None of the mentioned pests breed indoors. The cure is exclusion! If your Board doesn't want to pay for it, get them together for a work weekend and invest in a case or two of a good quality caulk. Almost everyone owns a caulking gun or two. Every single crack and crevice needs to be sealed up - completely. Around doors, windows, under the siding, under the soofits, around utility penetrations, around ventilators, etc. Replace the sweeps on the doors. You get the picture. Then, keep the doors and windows closed as much as possible. You'll be amazed at the results - maybe not this Spring, but certainly the next. Forrest E. St. Aubin, BCE Liaison, ESA/NPMA Chair, ESA-ACE Oversight Committee 12835 Pembroke Circle - Leawood, Kansas 66209 Phone: 913.927.9588 - Fax: 913.345.8008 E-mail: forr...@saintaubinbce.com Website: www.saintaubinbce.com "If you only do what you know you can do - you never do very much." Tom Krause Motivational speaker -Original Message- From: "Hayley Chambers" [hay...@theadamsdeadwood.org] Date: 10/05/2010 04:54 PM To: pestlist@museumpests.net Subject: Re: [pestlist] invasion of bugs at house museum Hello folks, I am the new Curator of a house museum in South Dakota that has been overrun with insects, primarily cluster/wood flies, hornets, box elder bugs, and pine leaf beetles (stink bugs). We are experiencing warm autumn weather here and the seasonal pests have been thriving in the attic and throughout the warmer parts of the house. This is a giant concern asthetically (try giving a tour of the house without seeing or hearing the bugs fly around!), health-wise (no one has been stung by a hornet...yet), and of course for the artifacts (flies are getting mashed into floors, leaving debris, and may be a food source for larder beetles). We don't have an IPM in place, unfortunately it did not receive board approval. Hopefully, with renewed energy on my part, we can get something in place. >From my understanding, the flies in the house have been an on-going issue >since it was converted into a museum ten years ago. Unfortunately, most of >what I know about the pest problem is institutional mythology and very little >has been recorded. What I do know is that until recently treatment has been >superficial- mostly vacuuming when necessary and semi-annual pesticide sprays. >The house was sprayed in the spring and the fall until 2008 because of budget >cuts. Now the house receives a treatment (spraying around the foundation and >inside around base boards and windows) in the fall, though it was not done >last year because of early snow fall. Spraying period is something I would >like to eliminate. Unfortunately, we simply can't afford expensive fly >catchers. Earlier this year, our facilities manager fabricated our own version >of a fly catcher for our attic- a blue light mounted on wood with removable >sticky fly strips. While these do appear to be attracting flies, we don't have >an adequate way to collect them so they form piles of dead flies, which is >just plain gross. I created a Pest Management Log to start keeping track of what kinds of insects we are finding, how many, where, and when. I have also met with our pest elimination specialist, who has sprayed at the house and our sister museum for years. We went around the house to identify routes of entry, but I would also like to know what is allowing them to continue to live and breed in the house. The treatment of an active pest infestation without understanding the cause of the problem is of limited value in the long run. My goal is to be proactive and address these problems for a longer-term solution than simply vacuuming up the bugs once, twice, three times a day. I know that my situation is not unique. Bugs are a problem wherever you go, especially in older buildings. I am writing to those of you out there that may have experienced something similar and are willing to share (horror) stories. I also want to know what resources are available that are geared specifically towards museum pests (aside from museumpests.net, of course). Also, we are on the National Register, so what are we allowed to do then? And what about the more unusual pests- box elder and stink bugs- how harmful are they to museum collections aside from leaving a residue? Are there "acceptable" levels for these pests to be in the House? Lots of questions, but any response will be helpful. Thanks for your time! Hayley Chambers -- Hayley Chambers Historic Adams House Curator Adams Museum & House 22 Van Buren Avenue Deadwood, SD 57732 605/578-3724 hay...@theadamsdeadwood.org http://www.adamsmuseumandhouse.org/
Re: [pestlist] invasion of bugs at house museum
Hi Hayley, Sounds like lots of buggy fun! I am a big fan of the Canadian Conservation Institute's "CCI Notes" which cover a wide range of conservation and preservation topics. There are several useful pdfs on their website that directly relate to insect pest management, including a facility inspection and checklist which might be especially helpful. Here is a link to their website - http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/crc/notes/index-eng.aspx. The insect pest pdfs can be found under "The Museum Environment: Biological Factors". Lots of other useful information here in case you have never used this great online and free resource. Good luck! Carolyn Frisa Head Conservator WORKS ON PAPER, LLC 7 The Village Square / P.O. Box 636 Bellows Falls, Vermont 05101 caro...@works-on-paper.net www.works-on-paper.net 802.460.1149 On Oct 5, 2010, at 5:52 PM, Hayley Chambers wrote: Hello folks, I am the new Curator of a house museum in South Dakota that has been overrun with insects, primarily cluster/wood flies, hornets, box elder bugs, and pine leaf beetles (stink bugs). We are experiencing warm autumn weather here and the seasonal pests have been thriving in the attic and throughout the warmer parts of the house. This is a giant concern asthetically (try giving a tour of the house without seeing or hearing the bugs fly around!), health-wise (no one has been stung by a hornet...yet), and of course for the artifacts (flies are getting mashed into floors, leaving debris, and may be a food source for larder beetles). We don't have an IPM in place, unfortunately it did not receive board approval. Hopefully, with renewed energy on my part, we can get something in place. From my understanding, the flies in the house have been an on-going issue since it was converted into a museum ten years ago. Unfortunately, most of what I know about the pest problem is institutional mythology and very little has been recorded. What I do know is that until recently treatment has been superficial- mostly vacuuming when necessary and semi-annual pesticide sprays. The house was sprayed in the spring and the fall until 2008 because of budget cuts. Now the house receives a treatment (spraying around the foundation and inside around base boards and windows) in the fall, though it was not done last year because of early snow fall. Spraying period is something I would like to eliminate. Unfortunately, we simply can't afford expensive fly catchers. Earlier this year, our facilities manager fabricated our own version of a fly catcher for our attic- a blue light mounted on wood with removable sticky fly strips. While these do appear to be attracting flies, we don't have an adequate way to collect them so they form piles of dead flies, which is just plain gross. I created a Pest Management Log to start keeping track of what kinds of insects we are finding, how many, where, and when. I have also met with our pest elimination specialist, who has sprayed at the house and our sister museum for years. We went around the house to identify routes of entry, but I would also like to know what is allowing them to continue to live and breed in the house. The treatment of an active pest infestation without understanding the cause of the problem is of limited value in the long run. My goal is to be proactive and address these problems for a longer-term solution than simply vacuuming up the bugs once, twice, three times a day. I know that my situation is not unique. Bugs are a problem wherever you go, especially in older buildings. I am writing to those of you out there that may have experienced something similar and are willing to share (horror) stories. I also want to know what resources are available that are geared specifically towards museum pests (aside from museumpests.net, of course). Also, we are on the National Register, so what are we allowed to do then? And what about the more unusual pests- box elder and stink bugs- how harmful are they to museum collections aside from leaving a residue? Are there "acceptable" levels for these pests to be in the House? Lots of questions, but any response will be helpful. Thanks for your time! Hayley Chambers -- Hayley Chambers Historic Adams House Curator Adams Museum & House 22 Van Buren Avenue Deadwood, SD 57732 605/578-3724 hay...@theadamsdeadwood.org http://www.adamsmuseumandhouse.org/
