While it’s certainly important for home and business owners to keep their properties pest-free at all times, it’s perhaps even more essential for museums and galleries to keep infestations under control, since these worthy establishments contain all sorts of precious and irreplaceable artefacts… and you don’t want them munched by moths!

Preventative conservation is vital to ensure that museum and gallery collections are properly protected and integrated pest management has a significant role to play in this regard. 

Some pests (and the use of pesticides!) can cause all sorts of problems for the objects in various collections and, unfortunately, sites such as these provide the perfect cosy habitats for pesky little critters, giving them all they need to live and breed. 

Of course, the objects themselves are a potential food source, but museums also have cafes and offices on site that can house food and waste, thereby providing even more nourishment for pests.

Objects can be harmed by silverfish, woodlife, booklife, small rodents, moths and beetles, so it’s important to be on your guard against them and put measures in place to prevent infestations from occurring.

Warning signs to look out for that indicate you may have a problem on your hands include insect waste, live and/or dead pests, and damage to objects. 

Unfortunately, one of the first and most noticeable signs of an issue is damage to objects and it’s important to keep an eye on all your collections, as different pests enjoy eating different materials… so you could have more than one infestation at a time.

Using pest traps in at-risk areas can help keep population numbers under control and this can also indicate whether populations are increasing, allowing you to take further action as appropriate and in good time.

Methods of control include physical barriers, regulating temperature and humidity levels and regular cleaning schedules to mitigate pest infestations. 

If you think you do have a serious problem on your hands and require 24 hour emergency pest control, get in touch with us today to see how we can help.