Museum reveals it has a bad case of the bugs
Lockdown has allowed dust to settle – creating a breeding ground for bugs that feed on exhibits
The British Museum has been battling invasive insects which, helped by the absence of visitors, could damage priceless exhibits. Experts have warned that without the usual crowds of tourists, settling dust can make an inviting environment for pests. Birds can enter the building and rodents gnaw their way into the museum, but the greater threat comes from wood worms, moths and carpet beetles, which can devour irreplaceable items.
THE British Museum has been battling invasive insects which, helped by the absence of visitors, could damage priceless exhibits.
Experts at the institution have warned that without the usual crowds of tourists, settling dust can make an inviting environment for pests.
Birds can enter the building and rodents gnaw their way into the Bloomsbury museum, but the greater threat comes from woodworms, moths and carpet beetles, which can devour irreplaceable items. These insects eat precious fabrics and textiles such as the American Indian clothing and ceremonial masks displayed in the galleries, or nibble through wooden creations such as totem poles.
Dust which has settled in the absence of visitors allows the creation of an ecosystem in which pests can flourish and, in turn, become inviting prey for other animals which are among the major threats to collections.
The British Museum told The Daily Telegraph that it is tackling the potential problem of increasing insect numbers in the galleries to defend fragile treasures, and a specialist “integrated pest manager” is keeping the bugs at bay. The 19th-century building presents problems for thorough pest control, and the prevention of infestation is done in a “holistic” way without the use of pesticides or poisons.
Displays in the museum also offer perfect food for invasive insects, with skin, fur, feathers, and wood all ideal sustenance for the most common problem creatures. Those on open display in spaces such as the Great Court are more susceptible to damage.
Museum staff have been monitoring the bug population in the building, conducting risk assessments for historical items which could come under threat, and pest-proofing the site.
A spokesman for the institution explained the issues presented by a lack of footfall: “The collection is housed in a splendid, but old and complex, building and our visitors play their part in controlling humidity and dust levels that create environments for pests to thrive.”
Roosting birds and nesting rodents can make their way into the museum, damaging and dirtying the building in the process. Woodworm can also bore into prized objects in the collection of treasures from around the world, including delicate fabrics in the New Zealand, Australian, African, and American Indian sections.
But Adrian Doyle, the integrated pest manager, has explained that the larvae of webbing moths, which are commonly found chewing through clothing, can be a major threat to the museum’s collection.
The larvae of carpet beetles, often an issue in people’s homes, also feed on organic material. They pose a problem in natural history museums where bird and insect displays can be consumed and the British Museum is guarding against the creatures.
Afghan dresses, African masks, Alaskan parkas, and Asante wooden thrones could all come under threat from these common bugs, and more everyday pieces like the museum’s wooden floorboards could also become a feast.
Action is being taken to mitigate the risks, and the museum’s pest manager and expert curators have “been able to undertake increased deep cleaning and additional pest-proofing”.
Measures include blocking access for pests, removing food sources and breeding grounds, purging dust from the galleries, and treating objects if insects have reached them.
Rodent poison has been abandoned to prevent mice and rats dying in unreachable spaces.
The spokesman said: “The care of the collection is of utmost importance to the British Museum.”
Thanks to the work put in by Mr Doyle and other experts the museum has “not seen any overall increase in pest activity across the museum in stores or galleries”.