Pest control

Robert K. MacDowell <macdowell_r [at] mediasoft__net> writes

>We often encounter living larva of the Dermestidae Family during
>examination and treatment of antique dolls, generally inside the
>heads or in the bodies. Over the years, we have treated these
>infestations by placing all affected parts in plastic bags with
>mothballs and keeping the bags sealed for a month or so.

It can take a long time for a complete kill, during which time they
will continue to eat. For doll stuffing, this may not be a major
drawback, but I had a client who did this with a feathered mask and
a lot more feathers were destroyed before the whole episode was
over.

B. Appelbaum

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 12:36
                 Distributed: Tuesday, October 13, 1998
                       Message Id: cdl-12-36-003
                                  ***