Flett Lecture Theatre, NHM

Thursday 8 May 14.30–16.00 (with training sessions in the morning and after the seminar)

As part of the annual Natural History Museum Pest Management Day, Robert Child  will give a talk about the new European Biocides Directive.

Robert Child has extensive experience as a professional research chemist and was the Head of conservation at the National Museum of Wales, Amguedddfa Cymru. He combines those with an expertise on the practical applications of  Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programmes in cultural institutions. His talk will give an overview of current IPM practices and the impact that the new biocides directive might have on this essential tool for collections preservation.

Speakers

• Robert Child (former Head of Conservation at the National Museum of Wales)

Training sessions by NHM IPM Co-ordinators (0900, 1100, 1730)

• Armando Mendez, Special Collections Information Assistant
• Suzanne Ryder, Collections Manager

Who should attend?

The seminar is open to all museum professionals. We also welcome colleagues from other institutions who would find the seminar of interest. There is no booking fee and only large parties need to notify the organiser for catering purposes. Tea and coffee will be available in the lobby area after the talk

What will I hear?

Update on new European Biocide Directive. If you are interested in attending the seminar or one of the hour long NHM internal training sessions (9.00, 11.00, and 17.30) where you will learn about Natural History Museum IPM please book a place by emailing: Julie.reynolds@nhm.ac.uk

A woolly bear you wouldn’t want to find! Woolly bear is the common name of the larvae of the Varied Carpet Beetle – Anthrenus verbasci They eat dried insect specimens, bird and mammal skins, textiles (especially woollen ones) and the animal glue used in old book binding.

© The Trustees of The Natural History Museum

As part of the Annual NHM Integrated Pest Management Awareness

2.30pm - 4.00pm

Flett Lecture Theatre, NHM, South Kensington London, SW7 5BD

Armando Mendez, Suzanne Ryder and David A. Smith from the Natural History Museum

Regular trapping and periodical inspections alerted Natural History Museum’s IPM Group to a rise in the number of webbing clothes moths, Tineola bisselliella, in the Museum’s Mammal corridor in late 2010.  This awareness led to the combined use of pheromone lure traps and a new visual display of trapping data.  This was used with the collections management system KE-EMu  to closely follow the evolution of the infestation.

At the time, a rodent infestation was discovered in a Museum themed gallery, quite distant from the original moth infestation. However, in this rodent location, Tineola moths were also discovered in textile materials contaminated by rodents. The use of pheromone traps and digital cameras proved that both infestations were linked and that there was a strong possibility that the moths were thriving in the welcoming environment created by the rodents. The pests were using under-floor ventilation ducts to move around the Museum’s public galleries, posing a threat to the Mammal specimens on display in those galleries.

To deal with the problems, the Museum’s IPM group coordinated the efforts of several teams to apply remedies based on IPM principles and best practice.Housekeeping, Design & Installation and Estates maintenance teams are working together, coordinated by the IPM group, to control this infestation. A trial of a new pheromone distraction product is also underway.

• The seminar is open to all museum professionals. We welcome colleagues from other institutions who would find the seminar of interest. There is no booking fee and only large parties need to notify the organiser for catering purposes.
• NHM staff from Science Group and Public Engagement Group are encouraged to attend, whether managers, collections management staff or those who work with and use collections or manage staff who work with collections.

Tea and coffee will be available in the seminar room lobby area after the talk.

Suggestions for seminar speakers are always most welcome. Please contact the organiser Clare Valentine (c.valentine@nhm.ac.uk

NHM, Collection Management Seminar (see NHM Website for further details on how to attend http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/seminars-events/index.html).