Abstract

To find the environmental friendly alternative methods for control taxidermy pests in natural history museum, six species insect pests at various stages of their development were exposed to a low-oxygen atmosphere of 1.5% for a period of one week. Apart from a 50% survival rate for the larval stage of Anthrenus verbasci, the modified atmosphere was observed to have a lethal effect on all insect stages tested. When the exposure period was extended to periods of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 weeks, respectively 100% mortality was recorded for all insects tested. Evidence from this investigation supports the view that atmospheres reduced in oxygen may represent a viable alternative to chemical control methods. The feasibility of using this technique for the routine control and eradication of insect pests in natural history museums is discussed.

Keywords:

Eradication, insect pest, low-oxygen atmosphere, natural history museum, taxidermy,

References

Competing interests

The authors have no competing interests.

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Copyright

The authors have no competing interests.