Preventing damage from pests is an essential task in the responsible management of all collections. Implementing an appropriate Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan is the best way to prevent infestations from taking root and to deal with any problems in a safe and effective manner. Participants will receive a basic introduction to IPM in order to be able to assess appropriate options for their institutions and collections in areas of policy and procedures, preventing infestations, trapping and monitoring, and remedial treatment.
Participants will learn to identify ways in which pests gain access to collections, how a pest monitoring program can be implemented, how to identify some of the most common and harmful museum pests, the pros and cons of a range of remedial treatments, and how to develop IPM policies and procedures for an institution.