It's not just the ravages of time

 

Museum pests such as clothes moths, bread beetles, museum beetles, and silverfish can cause devastating damage to insect collections, stuffed animals, bird skins, herbaria, books, and art objects. We know many of these pests from our homes – the clothes moth from the wardrobe, the bread beetle from the kitchen and silverfish from the bathroom. 
 

Historical and contemporary pest control in museums
 

The challenges of effective pest control in museums are far greater than in private homes. Many hundreds of thousands of objects must be protected from infestation in the long term, including numerous irreplaceable treasures. In the past, poison was regularly used against the pests: arsenic, DDT, and the well-known naphthalene in mothballs. 

In the 21st century, the museum world meets the challenges in a different way. Today, experts on integrated pest control focus on non-toxic control methods such as freezing, nitrogen fumigation, prevention, and regular monitoring with traps.
 

Climate change and its influence on insects and fungi
 

The influence of climate change is increasing the pest problem in museums. New species such as the paper silverfish are becoming increasingly common in Europe. Higher temperatures accelerate the development of the animals and increase their activity and number of offspring. In historical buildings, mold forms more frequently on very warm spring days or after heavy rainfall and flooding. 
 

For over three years, a project at the NHM Vienna, with financial support from the Austrian Academy of Sciences, has been investigating the connection between climate change and harmful insects and fungi in museums. The exhibition “It's not just the ravages of time” presents the initial results and introduces the most important museum pests with original specimens, large-format photos, and infested objects. 
 

An impressive photo art project by Austrian photographer Klaus Pichler and large-format images of insects by Udo Schmidt complement the exhibition and offer further perspectives. 
 

The exhibition was financed by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) and is designed as a traveling exhibition. After the presentation in Vienna, further stops are planned in European cities.