The presence of pests in museums and other exhibition areas of scientific and artistic interest should be considered as an eventuality that can be managed and controlled with appropriate measures before damage, sometimes irreparable, occurs. For these reasons, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is becoming increasingly necessary and indispensable.
inPEST has developed a protocol for a monitoring plan in the museum area, which involves using pheromone-activated sticky traps for the main target pests when available, or using traps that exploit the behavioural habits of the insects.
The main target pests for which inPEST recommends monitoring are:
- Anthrenus verbasci
- Attagenus spp.
- Ctenolepisma longicaudata
- Lasioderma serricorne
- Lepisma saccharina
- Liposcelis spp.
- Thermobia domestica
- Tineola bisselliella
- Trogium spp
