Chapter 2: Those Pesky Critters

What’s wrong with this book? Identifying pest damage

“Ewww, what is that?”Identifying the pest

Termites did this!

Silverfish Firebrat German

Cockroach Bookworm Book Lice

Those Pesky Critters

Cigarette Beetle Drugstore Beetle Varied Carpet

Beetle Black Carpet

Beetle RodentsA mere sampling of common pests you could find in

collections

Those Pesky Critters: Silverfish and Firebrat

Firebrat

Silverfish

Those Pesky Critters: Silverfish( Lepisma saccharina) /Firebrat (Thermobia domestica)

Insect family: Thysanura

Favorite Living Quarters:

BooksNewspapersCardboard

Favorite Living Conditions:High HumidityHigh MoistureHigh Temperatures: over

90F Shun lightThey like tight places &

dusty cracksStarch and paste are

delicious

How Do I Make It Go Away?Fumigation with toxic chemicals Pest Management. Create an inhospitable environment with:

climate controlbuilding inspection and maintenance keep things clean and off the floorappropriate collection storageregular pest inspections

Those Pesky Critters: German Cockroach (Blattella germanica)

Those Pesky Critters:German Cockroach (Blattella germanica)

Favorite Living Quarters:

BooksNewspapers

Favorite Living Conditions:Pretty much anywhereWill eat pretty much

everything

How Do I Make It Go Away?Traps

German Cockroach Nymph

Photo Credit: Jeff Hahn/University of Minnesota Extension

Gross Fact:Poop looks like a dot of tar. The eaten material remnants looks like sawdust

Those Pesky Critters: BOOKLOUSE ( Psocid)

Image courtesy University of Florida

Those Pesky Critters:Booklouse (Blattella germanica)

Favorite Living Quarters:

Folds of Books and magazines

New plaster

Favorite Living Conditions:Warm, humid (50% RH)Often appear as moving

specs Eat microscopic moulds,

fungi, and wheat starch, but can change their diets

How Do I Make It Go Away?Reduce moisture and environments conducive

to mold growth Increase air circulationDe-humidify Store materials above floor level

Image courtesy University of Florida

Those Pesky Critters: Bookworm (larvae )

Those Pesky Critters:Bookworm (aka larvae)

Image courtesy Yale Medical School library

Did you know that the bookworm isn’t a specific creature?

In the literature the term "bookworm" has been used to describe everything from silverfish and cockroaches to the larvae of grubs or beetles. The grubs or larvae of certain beetles like the cigarette beetle are restricted to feeding on the paste and glue of the spine and covers of bindings. Others are known to excavate the pages themselves and in fact may continue feeding from one book to the next right on the shelf.

The larval stage for the cigarette beetle lasts 5 to 10 weeks. Their entire life cycle can be up to 12 weeks and they live approximately one month as adults.

Those Pesky Critters:Bookworm (aka larvae)

Favorite Living Quarters:

Folds of Books and magazines

New plasterPaste and

starchy things

Favorite Living Conditions:Warm, humid (50% RH)Often appear as moving

specs

How Do I Make It Go Away?Increase air circulationDe-humidify Store materials above floor levelFumigation

Image courtesy Yale Medical School library

Those Pesky Critters: Rodents

Those Pesky Critters:Rodents

Favorite Living Quarters:

Anywhere

Favorite Living Conditions:Not pickyEat pretty much anything

How Do I Make It Go Away?Traps Store materials above floor levelKeep things clean

Image by Agnès Boulloche