I started this at USNM in 1995 after some research. I gave a couple talks at ECN a while ago about freezing. Minus 25C will kill anything we need to worry about. No need to bag or repeat freeze - cellulose will reabsorb any moisture. But after freezing do leave drawers, etc. out for enough time for them to re-acclimate - don't open them.
We also talk about this in the Entomology Collections Management Workshop.
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From: Entomological Collections Network Listserve [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Brown, Richard [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2017 11:01 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: freezing drawers for pest control
We are receiving some major donations, some of which have had some dermestid damage. We have regular freezers as well as an ultra-low freezer. Does anybody know of adverse effects of putting drawers of specimens in an ultra-low freezer before the drawer is brought into museum?
-- Richard L. Brown
Mississippi Entomological Museum
Dept. Biochemistry, Molecular Biology,
Entomology & Plant Pathology
Box 9775 (100 Old Highway 12)
Mississippi State, MS 39762
PH: 662-325-2990
Cell: 662-694-0174
