Page 28 - Mothmageddon

“What’s Eating You 2?” Mothmageddon
The Parliamentary Art Collection, which includes one of the largest collections of contemporary art textiles in public ownership, is also at significant risk from infestation.
“All are irreplaceable, expensive to repair and it is more cost effective to prevent this damage in the first place by controlling moth populations. 729 moth monitoring devices are in place across the Parliamentary Estate to assess moth levels in order that action can be taken where necessary to control the population.”
BBC reporter Zoe Conway told the Today programme one Parliamentary aide spoke of regularly having to swat away the moths during meetings.10
Zoe said moth traps were very much in evidence.
“I’ve just walked down a corridor in the House of Lords and the ornate red carpet, and outside every doorway, every office, is a moth trap and the male moths are supposed to fly into it and get stuck. They’re tempted by the smell of the female pheromone... Rather humiliating death.”
Why Moths Are Such A Problem
There are a number of reasons why clothing moths are becoming such a big problem: warmer Winters, centrally heated buildings and the fact that many pesticides which were very effective against clothes moths are no longer used. Pesticide dichlorvos, for example, was used in museums to kill insect pests for years, but was banned after being found to be carcinogenic.
Someone who often works closely with David Pinniger is Dee Lauder, Collections Care Manager at English Heritage. She’s responsible for keeping English Heritage’s properties and their vulnerable collections – including books, textiles, carpets and furniture – pest-free.
10 Conway, Zoe, Today Programme, BBC Radio, www.bbc.co.uk, February 9, 2018
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