Anoxic Treatment for Pests

The risk of damage to collections objects from insects and other pests can be effectively mitigated through a well-implemented integrated pest management program (IPM) that focuses on preventive maintenance, housekeeping, and monitoring. When pest issues do occur there are many treatment options that do not involve chemicals. Anoxic treatment (depriving the environment of oxygen) is often used for larger or sensitive objects that cannot fit into the freezer or tolerate low temperatures (e.g. -40C).  

After carpet beetle larvae casings were found on rug pads from a historic interior, a thorough inspection of textiles and upholstery was conducted in this building. 

The club chair pictured to the left had plexiglas underneath protecting original webbing, which could not be easily accessed for vacuuming. There were loose fibers and debris visible. Although a sample of these fibers extracted and examined under the microscope did not have any evidence of insect activity, there was concern that some debris might be frass. 

Ageless Treatment

Ageless is the brand name of an oxygen scavenger compound sold by Mitsubishi. The packets contain specific minerals known as zeolites that can absorb gases like oxygen. Packets come in different sizes capable of absorbing different volumes of oxygen. 

There is a formula based on the relative volume that the object being treated occupies to determine how many packets are required to create an anoxic environment. The calculations for this club chair are shown to the right. The object and the appropriate amount of Ageless packets are sealed in an enclosure of Marvelseal 360. This material is aluminized polyethylene and nylon and does not allow oxygen into the enclosure. 

Joel Voron, Integrated Pest Management Specialist at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, is vacuuming other chairs in the historic interior that did not have plexiglas protection. 

The club chair undergoing treatment after sealing in Marvelseal 360. As the treatment progressed the enclosure began to shrink with depletion of oxygen. 

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