Anticipatory infestation avoidance instead of conventional pest control – this volume is a plea for preventative measures, consistent collection monitoring and, ultimately, employee protection. It is not surprising that integrated pest management for cultural assets borrows from the food industry’s now established stock protection. After all, insects, rodents and birds have also taken over certain organic components of our cultural heritage […]
Anticipatory infestation avoidance instead of conventional pest control – this volume is a plea for preventative measures, consistent collection monitoring and, ultimately, employee protection. It is not surprising that integrated pest management for cultural assets borrows from the food industry’s now established stock protection. After all, insects, rodents and birds also “love to eat” certain organic components of our cultural heritage.
The introductory chapter is an assessment of the situation: the reader is given an overview of the steps required to establish an IPM strategy, how to avoid pests and how to assess an infestation. The editors see pest management as a complex cross-sectional task that involves various disciplines and collection staff in line with the motto “evolution instead of revolution”.
The historical background, the biological connections and the anatomical information presented in the second chapter are extremely readable in their brevity. However, the fact that the migration of insects is facilitated by changing environmental conditions and increased global transportation is not new and does not only apply to the museum sector. The overview of the insects most frequently found in Central Europe and the compilation of the infested materials in tabular form leads into a detailed description of the pests. The main pest species are described in four material categories and illustrated with photographs and drawings. This is not always appetizing, but very informative. The illustrations of the insects in their original size in the margin of the page are informative and can actually be overlooked when first leafing through the book, so tiny can the pests be.
Chapter 3 deals with the detection and monitoring of insects. The short sections are easy to read and practical. There is an overview of insect traps (glue, pheromone and light traps), the use of which is considered one of the most important steps in integrated pest management, and the correct interpretation of the trapping results. In order to identify an infestation by wood-destroying beetle larvae, whose development can take years, differentiated information is given and supported with in-depth literature references. The bibliography at the end of the slim volume is impressive. Most of the publications are in English, which is certainly not only due to the fact that the main author is British. The British entomologist has been dealing with the danger posed to museums and collections by beetles, rodents and birds for many decades.
This is also evident in his experienced explanations on the prevention of insect infestations in the fourth chapter. In addition to making access more difficult, for example by sealing doors and windows, regulating temperature and humidity and ensuring appropriate hygiene and cleaning, the advice for modern collection buildings deserves attention at this point: the author advocates involving IPM experts in building planning, for example to avoid inaccessible cavities in which insects can survive undisturbed. It quickly becomes clear how complex effective pest management is: depots and collection rooms must be subject to permanent monitoring and endangered materials must be separated. The prevention chapter concludes with concise, albeit accurate, instructions on quarantine. But how can these correct and important measures be implemented in small, under-resourced institutions that can neither afford enough trained staff nor separate quarantine areas in the depot?
If, despite all preventive measures, insects have managed to colonize the building or property, a number of treatment options can be considered, which are described in Chapter 5. In addition to mechanical removal, temperature adaptation (freezing or heat treatment), oxygen deprivation or fumigation using carbon dioxide or nitrogen, this chapter provides detailed information on biological control methods and the use of insecticides. Although the latter are precisely the type of control agents that Integrated Pest Management, which focuses on prevention, actually aims to prevent, according to the authors, the “considered and prudent use of pesticides as part of a control strategy is one way of eliminating insect infestations in a museum environment.” Several examples of insecticides are used to illustrate their mode of action and their potential to harm humans. The chapter concludes with references to damage to objects caused by chemical treatment and to safety precautions when applying pesticides.
In the penultimate chapter, Adrian Meyer discusses the damage potential of birds and rodents. As with insects, the detection (monitoring), prevention (hygiene and sealing) and control (traps and poisons) of rats, mice and other vertebrate pests are presented – albeit in abbreviated form. The bird species particularly adapted to urban environments (pigeon, sparrow, starling) are also described in terms of their pest potential. Their control is mainly achieved by keeping possible nesting or resting sites mechanically free using nets, wires and spikes. However, deterrence by chemical means, electrical systems or the use of birds of prey and even intervention in the population are also conceivable methods that have long been used – and not just for the purpose of protecting cultural assets.
Chapter 7, the final chapter, explains how an IPM strategy can be developed and implemented in theory. With obvious practical experience, the author mentions factors that influence the implementation of this strategy: existing museum practices and administration. The initial measures, for example “Appoint someone to arrange for pest prevention […]”, and the successful implementation of the IPM strategy can of course only succeed if communication between and cooperation between museum employees is good. This presupposes that all employees are aware of the potential for insects, rodents and birds to damage cultural heritage.
This book is written for museum employees, who should gain “many advantages in their daily work”. And indeed – this is an introductory book that provides the reader with a comprehensive initial overview of the potential dangers and possibilities for preventing and eliminating pest infestations. The websites listed at the end of the book, as well as the aforementioned list of literature, most of which is from English-speaking countries, round off this slim but dense volume.
Editors: David Pinniger, Bill Landsberger, Adrian Meyer, Pascal Querner
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz and Gebr. Mann Verlag, Berlin, 2016
168 p., 150 mostly color illustrations, 49,90 EUR, ISBN 978-3-7861-2760-4
