During our winter clean, we spotted two Carpet Beetles enjoying a private tour of the museum. Unfortunately they have a habit of leaving behind their larvae which can be destructive to collection items.
Thankfully they were in just one display case, but the collection team must spring into action before it becomes a widespread infestation!
Going forward, each object will be sealed inside a polythene bag, which prevents the pests from escaping until the objects can be treated. The contents inside the ‘Crimean War’ case will be sent to The Discovery Museum in Newcastle to enjoy a very cold slumber for 3-5 days inside a large freezer at – 30 degrees. This will terminate any pests at every stage of life cycle.
When the objects come back to us, we will carefully hoover them to remove any remnants, and do a deep clean of the case, making sure that it is fully sealed and clean before the objects are put back on display.