Page 33 - Mothmageddon
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JONATHAN BERLIAND & GRAHAM WARREN
Moth larvae were discovered on the Abbey’s 18th Century French tapestry while it was being cleaned. It was taken to Ipswich Museum in Suffolk, wrapped in protective materials and subjected to -30°C temperatures for several months before being returned moth-free to the Abbey.
Textile conservator May Berkouwer told the BBC:
“We need to protect the fabric and deep freezing it doesn’t damage the fibres of the tapestry at all, but it does kill all the insects and there’s no residue of chemicals.”
High Street Retailer Deep Freezes Clothes
When a clothing retailer discovered a serious moth infestation in the warehouse where it stored samples of its clothing ranges from previous years, it too used the freezing method to get rid of the moths on the clothes.
The company hired an industrial freezer truck and stored the clothing in it for several weeks. Meanwhile, a pest control company sprayed the empty warehouse to ensure the complete eradication of the moths. When the clothes were removed from the freezer truck, they were all moth-free.
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