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 Fumigating a Collection
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| Author | Topic: Fumigating a Collection |
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Art Nouveau Collector Posts: 15 |
posted 10-06-2012 02:19 PM
  
We will be having our house tented and fumigated for termites with Vikane. I know there are some curators here as well as others with collections beyond silver. Ours includes bronzes, paintings, posters, pottery, and of course silver. How worried should we be? We plan on removing as much as possible to some storage lockers but prefer to leave what we know will be safe. Does anyone here have experience with this. Any issues with your collections? Thanks. IP: Logged |
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Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 |
posted 10-06-2012 05:53 PM
I suppose it will be contingent on what chemicals are used and whether the chemicals contain or break down into sulfur or nitric acid compounds. Per an online site the chemicals widely used as fumigants include:
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Art Nouveau Collector Posts: 15 |
posted 10-06-2012 07:00 PM
Thank you Scott, and sorry for the double post. They will be using Vikane which is a trade name for Sulfuryl fluoride. From what I’ve read, this is an odorless, colorless biocide that will kill all living organisms (including termites). They put a trace amount of Chloropicrin, which is basically tear gas, as a warning so you know the chemicals are still around. Then, they wrap the house in a large tent and fill it with the gas for two days. I read a few rather overly technical papers about the efficacy of this treatment in museums on various pests, but I can’t seem to find anything on what it will or will not damage. Of our collection, we decided to remove everything organic or porous (posters, paintings, and some unglazed pottery) in addition to some sculpture that I’d kill myself if it got damaged. My wife will take all of her jewelry which comprises much of our silver. What a pain. IP: Logged |
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ahwt Posts: 2334 |
posted 10-06-2012 08:14 PM
I would think that the company you have hired to do the work would have past experience as to any damage to items left in the house. Will they provide any insurance covering damage? I read the highlighted reference to sulfuryl fluoride and noted that sulfuryl fluoride is not that effective on termite eggs, but that the larvae of termites need the care of adult termites to survive. I certainly hope that everything turns out great for you as I can imagine your frustration. IP: Logged |
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Kimo Posts: 1627 |
posted 10-06-2012 11:17 PM
You will want to closely inspect everything that you remove and return to your house to ensure there are not only no termites, but also no eggs laid on any of it, otherwise you will only be protecting them and reinfesting your house. IP: Logged |
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Art Nouveau Collector Posts: 15 |
posted 10-08-2012 12:32 AM
Thanks guys. Dry wood termites are inside of the walls so you never see eggs, just the small sand-like poop piles that accumulate thru tiny holes in wood around the house and the occasional set of the wings they leave before they find a place to crawl into. Most homes in southern California have them and it’s just a matter of time before they need to be eradicated and begin accumulating again. Fortunately, it happens slowly (many years) before you have to do it again. I have no idea whether any of these companies have any knowledge or real experience with art collections and I’m not going to find out. Nor will I rely on their insurance. Over the last several days, we cleaned out our house except for the furniture and a handful of items including a bit of silver (what a pain). I’ll let you know how everything turns out. IP: Logged |
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Art Nouveau Collector Posts: 15 |
posted 10-24-2012 11:47 AM
Mission accomplished, and the bottom line is we left just a few items from our collection in our house and fumigated last week with absolutely no adverse effects to anything (except the termites). We did a bunch of research and in the end, decided to remove the majority of our collection to storage. The reason was as much a concern over security as about the chemicals. The fumigation company asks for your house keys and many of the workers walk through your home when you are not allowed inside. The chemicals are nasty but they do no damage to anything and leave absolutely no odor or residue. Security aside, from what I learned with the few pieces we left (including some silver), if I had to do it again, I wouldn't remove a thing. IP: Logged |
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Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 |
posted 10-24-2012 12:00 PM
Glad to hear things worked out. Since the "chain of custody" on your keys has been broken...consider changing your locks. IP: Logged |
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