Pest control in museums : status of collections and an evaluation of control strategies

Abstract

Information on the status of museum collections held in the British Isles suggests that over 25 million specimens are at risk from the effects of deterioration. It is widely acknowledged that this situation is reflected world-wide. One of the main causes of deterioration is attributed to the damage caused by pests, notably insects. This study examines aspects of pest control in museums and in particular, natural history museums. Surveys of museums in the British Isles, and also world-wide were undertaken to establish the current status of collections and to provide a basis for further study. Results show that the majority of collections surveyed have been recently damaged by pests, ranging from minor, isolated incidents to destruction of entire collections.