Thank you so much Richard, Ayesha and Adam – this is a great help! I will let you know how it goes!
Best wishes, Cathy From: pestlist@googlegroups.com <pestlist@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Pollack, Richard J <richard_poll...@harvard.edu> Date: Thursday, July 14, 2022 at 9:55 AM To: pestlist@googlegroups.com <pestlist@googlegroups.com> Subject: [PestList] Re: Low-cost, low-tech solutions for termite infestations? Cathy, What a wonderful and valuable opportunity. I’ve spent more than a little time in many countries in Africa, so know many of the challenges you mentioned. I anticipate you’re focused mainly on mitigating termites damaging museum accessions, rather than damage to the building, itself. If the former, consider the careful use of anoxia. In every country I’ve been to there, it was possible to find (though sometimes with difficulty) pressurized cylinders of carbon dioxide for carbonating soft drinks and also for beer dispensing in bars and elsewhere. You might be able to strike a deal to rent one or more of these steel tanks from a distributor. Finding the right regulators and fittings may be another challenge, but it is usually possible to rig something up that is practical and safe. Then, it is a matter of encasing the object(s) in a bag, evacuating as much air as possible, and purging the bag with CO2 repeatedly and with sufficient frequency to maintain anoxic conditions within. You won’t suffer the same regulations as you would here in the US, but you should still be attentive to safety issues. Now, the CO2 from the tank is likely going to be bone dry. Be attentive to the effects of overly desiccating the artworks. It is possible to humidify the stream of gas. Once you step down the pressure (to ~2psi) and flow rate, you could bubble the CO2 through a flask or other vessel that contains some water. The duration of treatment will depend largely upon the porosity of object(s) within the bag, the ability to effectively lower the O2 concentration, and the integrity of the bag. Other folks in this group can, I’m sure, suggest some bags (plastic, mylar or other) that you might take with you. It may be that pesticide treatment is more practical, but you must weigh the benefits and risks (to persons and to the treated objects). Best of success. -Rich Richard J. Pollack, PhD HARVARD UNIVERSITY Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) Senior Environmental Public Health Officer 46 Blackstone St. Cambridge, MA 02139 Office: 617-495-2995 Cell: 617-447-0763 www.ehs.harvard.edu richard_poll...@harvard.edu<mailto:richard_poll...@harvard.edu> linkedin.com/in/richard-pollack-6818997<https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Frichard-pollack-6818997&data=05%7C01%7Ccatherine.silverman%40yale.edu%7C79bd23da6a36472dffe108da65a08719%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C637934037399478951%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qtcYru9cMirDRdWoIU8g41Z8%2FPVHJbZYZWeCXGp0uP8%3D&reserved=0> From: pestlist@googlegroups.com <pestlist@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Silverman, Catherine <catherine.silver...@yale.edu> Date: Thursday, July 14, 2022 at 9:35 AM To: pestlist@googlegroups.com <pestlist@googlegroups.com> Subject: [PestList] Low-cost, low-tech solutions for termite infestations? Dear Pest People My colleague and I are heading to central Africa next week to run a workshop on wood conservation. I would love to include some tips for dealing with active termite infestations. The museum is underfunded, has no climate control, and the power is unreliable (they regularly lose power for hours at a time). If anyone can point me to resources or has any ideas about low-cost, low-tech solutions for treating termite infestation, I would be very grateful. We have been vaguely thinking about ways to use solar heat…. perhaps by bagging an object and placing it in a locked car on the premises (scary by US museum standards, I realize, but it does need to be practical and this is just a germ of an idea. Please don’t shout at me!). Many thanks! Cathy Cathy Silverman Assistant Conservator of Furniture and Objects Yale University Art Gallery P.O. 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