About - Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a systematic approach to reducing and eliminating pest problems. It involves ongoing identification of species, of pest behavior and actively reduces pest populations through monitoring, improving the cleanliness and conditions of the environment, and staff-wide education. IPM also advocates quarantining and inspecting incoming collections for evidence of infestation before materials are processed into collections. Approaches to pest eradication in objects and buildings include fumigation, non-toxic fumigation (including anoxic or oxygen-displacement treatments), freezing and thermal treatments. If you suspect you have an infestation and need immediate help, see the Additional Resources page to contact preservation support organizations or disaster recovery specialists for further advice.
Health & Safety - Pests can present a real health and safety threat to the immediate users of the collections (custodians, handlers, users) and non-users (others present in the building).
Quarantine - Incoming materials can be a blessing or a boon to your collection, depending on what they bring with them! Your accession protocol should provide a time period for inspection and observation in a "quarantine" room isolated (ideally, physically sealed) from the collection. Quarantine inspection identifies any problematic materials or possible infestation in the objects and packaging materials. The affected materials can then be treated before integrating them into the collection, preventing larger disasters.
