Integrated pest management (IPM) is not a static approach but one that is constantly evolving. Mass international travel, climate change and other factors contribute to the spread of new pests, and the pests themselves are constantly seeking out weaknesses in our defences. An understanding of the threats pests pose to collections and the necessity for a systematic approach to combat them is now firmly embedded in the work of collection care practitioners. In addition, the trustees and sponsoring bodies of collecting institutions recognise that it is a significant and cost-effective element of good collections management. 2011: A Pest Odyssey, 10 years later describes examples of how the IPM approach has been adopted by large and small institutions around the world, and highlights the many lessons learned along the way. Principal among these is never to become complacent and tied down to routine processes. Another important lesson is the need to ensure colleagues understand and are involved with the process of pest management. There is also a need to understand the wider implications of any pest control activity, for example the effect of chemical treatments on DNA. Coming out of the second Pest Odyssey conference, this book will promote wider understanding and implementation of IPM as an integral part of any collection management programme. The organisers and editorial team hope that everyone involved with the care of cultural heritage collections and buildings will find something of interest and value in this work.

Table of Contents:
Introduction 1. Ten years on – from vodka beetles to risk zones 2. Ten years of integrated pest management at English Heritage 3. Efficacy, effects, economics: the problem of distributing pest control advice to cover contingency 4. Integrating IPM risk zones and environmental monitoring at the Museum of London 5. Mapping museum pest activity: a review of the development of KE Emu as a tool for pest management 6. Developing and implementing an integrated pest management concept in the large collections of the National Museum in Berlin 7. Building with pest management in mind: a case study from the Canadian Museum of Nature 8. The brown carpet beetle, Attagenus smirnovi: how will climate change affect its future pest status? 9. Moth, Exosex and floor voids at Hampton Court Palace 10. The wider use and interpretation of insect monitoring traps 11. Dealing with an infestation of Reesa vespulae while preparing to move to new stores 12. The measured, slimline implementation of integrated pest management at the National Trust for Scotland 13. Driven to distraction by moths: IPM on the Riverside Museum Project 14. The problems of house mice in historic houses and museums 15. Minus 20 degrees in the sun 16. Mobigas at the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia and the struggle for recognition by quarantine authorities 17. Assessment of the Thermo-Lignum oven pest eradication treatment on natural and synthetic polymers and resins 18. Effects of fumigants and non-chemical treatments on DNA molecules and proteins: case studies on natural history specimens and proteinaceous components of museum objects 19. Integrated pest management at the National Museum of Ethnology, Japan: re-evaluation of preventive measures and control strategies 20. To bag or not to bag? Treatment of a large Solomon Islands war canoe and the growing threat of drywood termites to collections in Australia 21. Webbing clothes moth in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s British galleries: a successful campaign 22. Outsmarting the persistent moths: strategic planning for pest control at Nordiska Museet 23. Quick, quick, put the lid back on! 24. But how do I know I’ve got pests? 25. Crazy as a bedbug: the Integrated Pest Management Working Group’s development of resources and best practices for the museum community 26. Skins, shoes and 2,500 saplings: combining integrated pest management and contemporary art installations 27. Where do we go from here? The challenges of implementing an IPM programme at the British Museum Abstracts of Poster Presentations Appendix: List of materials and suppliers