Pests: by name and nature

The care and preservation of our collections and the building itself often occurs at the micro level and during climatic, seasonal changes. During this time a particular range of threats emerge—pests. We undertake a range of annual programs to manage the risks pests present to the heritage site, which are just as applicable to the general household situation.

One of our most important strategies is to provide staff, tenants, volunteers and contractors with information on pest management and more particularly the role we can all play in detecting activity and minimising ‘pest opportunism’. With many eyes roaming the site the task of monitoring over 1,500 rooms for pest activity becomes a shared goal.

In terms of practical application, we set insect and rodent traps to monitor activity and locations, enabling better targeting of resources and their effectiveness; we undertake chemical perimeter sprays to deter crawling insect access, as well as incoming material; while inspecting all deliveries to the site. Ultimately good housekeeping and hygiene are best practice necessities to minimise creating environments that are attractive for pest nesting, breeding and feeding cycles. At the museum we have a regular annual pest cycle due to local climatic, flora and fauna species exemplified by Bogong moth ‘invasions’ in September and October.

Particularly problematic pests for our collections include:

• Carpet beetle—feeds on protein material (fur, leather, wool, silk, feathers), often found on window sills as they exit to mate, having done the damage during their larval stage.
• Clothes moths—larva feeds on protein material (fur, leather, wool, silk, feathers), hidden from view, leaving irregular holes and silk webbing or tubes. Small silvery moths emerge as the visible evidence of activity.
• Furniture beetle or woodworm—if infected, timber items will exhibit tiny exit holes with wood dust, indicating the larva has exited as a beetle. The residual damage may be an extensively eaten out, now fragile timber item.
• Rodents—including possums can do extensive damage in short thrift, urinating on and shredding items for nesting material.
• Mould—spores are everywhere and will propagate given the right conditions, damp, dark, stagnant environments. From undetected leaks to high humidity’s, in unvisited, isolated areas mould has the opportunity to colonise and destroy organic materials, such as paper, photographs, textiles, leather.

We act promptly to minimise infestation threats and their consequences, and through good housekeeping and an integrated pest management approach we protect the heritage values of the museum.