Re: Pest Control - Additional information on Gentrol usage

[Mary Ballard <BallardM@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Sandra & all: Hi. I'm housecleaning up my emails. I reread the idea about
using a juvenile hormone on carpet beetles & remembered it's the juvenile
stage -- the larval stage--that is described as 'voracious' for attacking
wool. The adults and the eggs are not the feeders on wool. Would you want to
maintain the carpet beetles as 'juveniles'? Would a juvenizing hormone
designed for cockroaches and not listed for carpet beetles actually be
appropriate? Did the museum use it? Can you find out? Thanks, Mary

Mary W. Ballard
Senior Textiles Conservator
Smithsonian Center for Materials Research & Education
4210 Silver Hill Road, Suitland MD 20746 USA
tel: 301-238-1210 fax: 301-238-3709
email: ballardm@xxxxxxxxxxxx

>>> "Sandra L. Troon" <stroon@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 04/07/04 07:51PM >>>
Meg and all,

The carpet beetles have been professionally identified and they are very
common here in the Pacific Northwest.  The museum's licensed pest
control operator wanted to place a Gentrol device inside the case and
the curator has instead agreed to place one on the outside of the case.


I have not had any experience with this type of pesticide.  From the
literature I was able to find about it, it appears that in many
situations (and obviously this is general use, not specifically designed
for museum collections), the product is sprayed along floors. It sounds
like there is also a solid form and I believe that is what has been
attached to the outside of the display case. Apparently after contact
with the pesticide, the pests (many types, including dermestids)
reportedly live happy but unreproductive lives. While that potentially
cuts down on future generations it doesn't stop the current generation,
which can continue to feed on collections.  Since I had no information
about the effect of this pesticide in close proximity to collection
materials, and the pesticide itself will not stop the current generation
of insects from damaging the artifacts, I agreed with the curator's
decision that the pesticide should not be put inside the case. We
discussed considering freeze treatment of the case contents.

At this point the curator is wondering if anyone else is using this
pesticide or one like it?  I personally have strong reservations about
using pesticides in museums because of their potential for adverse
effects on people, the environment, and artifacts.  Thanks for your
answer Meg and a big hello to you.

Best regards,
Sandra L. Troon
Textile Conservator
Oregon Textile Workshop
9745 SW 163rd Avenue
Beaverton, OR 97007




-----Original Message-----
From: Margaret Geiss-Mooney [mailto:mgmooney@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2004 8:59 AM
To: stroon@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; TEXCONS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: Pest Control


Good morning, colleagues - My first thought is that more information is
needed. For example (in no particular order):

To what kind of textile/fibre/dye/attachments will the Gentrol be
applied to? In what form will the Gentrol be applied? What
concentration? What else is in the solution applied? MSDS looked over?
Left on or just left on until the textiles are subsequently treated
(cleaned/washed/conserved/repaired)?
Does the manufacturer itself recommend the use of Gentrol for the
control of this particular beetle (and not just the licensed pest
control operator)? Have the beetles been identified by an
entomologist-type professional?

Regards,
Margaret (Meg) Geiss-Mooney
Textile/Costume Conservator
mgmooney@xxxxxxxxxxxx
in Spring-like Northern California

-----Original Message-----
From: Textile Conservators [mailto:TEXCONS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Sandra L. Troon
Sent: Monday, April 05, 2004 11:34 AM
To: TEXCONS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Pest Control

Hello all,

I am posting a question from a curator in a history museum. She would
like to know if anyone on the list has had experience with or has
comments about using, Gentrol which is S-Hydroprene, a growth regulator
pesticide  for dermestid (carpet) beetles.  Thanks, Sandy

Sandra L. Troon
Textile Conservator
Oregon Textile Workshop
9745 SW 163rd Avenue
Beaverton, OR 97007