FLYMPH FORUM

As Dana said on the Golden Plover thread, we need a thread on safe material storage. The apocalypse finally struck me at last--it was bound to happen--when I discovered intruders in my tub of Collins capes. $%#@!! But it wasn't too bad--it seems a single cape got past my usual quarantining process, and infected about a half dozen others in the tub. They got cleaned and deposited in the freezer for now. Our tradition enemy, moth larvae.

But as I was going through all my materials and fly archive, I noticed in one tub containing dyed cashmere goat that a number of pieces were infected with what seemed egg casings--and can't put my finger on what they are. They are very small--.8mm-1mm long, and are attached to the strands of hair with a sticky substance--sort of like lice eggs in human hair. Except smaller. Plus, they are greyish-black, not white, though that might be because they are shucks. Does anyone have an idea what they are? Here's a pair of pics:



and for sizing:



I had last used this tub in the January when tying out at the Roger Brown House in New Buffalo, Michigan--it's located on the sand dunes along the shore. Temps were warm--50s, 60s. My first thought was: fleas--flea eggs--as the dog was running out in the dune grass every day, and coming into the studio with me when I tied--. But from what I have read, flea eggs are loose, and not 'glued' like these are.

Bird mites? Anyone have any other ideas? Or suggestions for who might know?

It's funny almost--as I told Phil A. and John S. this morning, here I am trying to make fake bugs to imitate real bugs, and I am getting attacked by evil bugs in the process. It’s worthy of Shakespeare. Revenge tragedy. We’re only in act 2 right now—what scholars call ‘the discovery.” God save me in act 3 when we hit the peripety. LOL.

So--regarding flea collars in storage bins--how do you all do this? There's a lot of variation in collars out there, some are 'natural ' (lol) and some are outright fakes of expensive Bayer collars. When you cut the collars up, do you just drop a piece in the bin or the bag? Do you put it in its own small bag with holes so it doesn't touch the materials?

Thoughts?

Thanks,
bb

DUBBN wrote: ↑Sun Dec 06, 2020 12:49 pm https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hot-Shot-2- ... lsrc=aw.ds

Do you cut them up? How do you use them exactly?--Since it's not just about killing bugs, but also trying to protect myself (and the dog, and the kid) from cross-contamination.

bb

bearbutt wrote: ↑Sun Dec 06, 2020 12:53 pm

DUBBN wrote: ↑Sun Dec 06, 2020 12:49 pm https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hot-Shot-2- ... lsrc=aw.ds

Do you cut them up? How do you use them exactly?--Since it's not just about killing bugs, but also trying to protect myself (and the dog, and the kid) from cross-contamination.

bb

Open it up and throw it in your your/bin/drawer/bag.

I remember on another forum the subject of bug invasion came up. Everyone who had their hackles invaded by these little buggers lived where it's more humid than here in Colorado. I brought that up in the post and everyone thought that might be part of it.

So just out of curiosity, where do you live bearbutt ? I ask because still I have had no critters in my materials, and everyone I know here hasn't had any issues either, and non of us take any precautions.

I use an old ceder chest. So far so good, but I don’t really know how well this will work long term.

Does anybody have long term experience with this.

Robert

Oh - boy.........Very sorry to hear that it finally happened to you, Joseph. I hate those little buggers more than anything else, including ticks and chiggers...... this this could turn into a very long rant!
My best solution to date is the old shell no pest strips. They still produce and sell them in Mexico. I have a couple of friends who live south of the border send me up a couple upon occasion. THEY KILL EVERYTHING.
Yes, a cedar chest works well too.

I’ve taken pieces of the dog flea and tick collar and just snipped it up and throw it right in the bins. It’s very potent stuff -works well.

Dana

DUBBN wrote: ↑Sun Dec 06, 2020 12:55 pm
Open it up and throw it in your your/bin/drawer/bag.

Well, I have 76 plastic tubs, from shoe boxes to big containers made for heavy duvets--plus another 20 or so boxes of vintage flies from the archive project--that's a lot of pest strips, I want to find a balance between the volume of space, and the level of neurotoxins I introduce. So far, the cut-up flea strip idea seems the most practical.

I had previously used cut up cedar closet liner planks in my boxes--but they dry out quickly and lack the ability to kill the way the flea collars do. A cedar chest would work, especially one with a tight seal, but I would need at least a half dozen of them.

I live in the midwest--which is cold and dry in the winter, and hot and humid in the summer--but with AC and mechanical humidification, this is all pretty moot. As one entomologist told me, bugs will live wherever there's food for them to eat.

I have one incoming Collins cape (bought on the secondary market, not directly from Charlie) that was infected and got past my quarantine measures. It only affected a few capes, with zero feather loss. But the little black 1mm eggs/shucks on the goat hair I still can't identify--and I think came from the New Buffalo stay--some insects in the studio there--located among dunes and dune grass. Strangely, they are only on the goat, as far as I can tell. All of that material has been quarantined with flea collars. The goat hair has all been thrown out. Not taking any chances here.

bb

bearbutt wrote: ↑Mon Dec 07, 2020 9:14 am

DUBBN wrote: ↑Sun Dec 06, 2020 12:55 pm
Open it up and throw it in your your/bin/drawer/bag.

Well, I have 76 plastic tubs, from shoe boxes to big containers made for heavy duvets--plus another 20 or so boxes of vintage flies from the archive project--that's a lot of pest strips, I want to find a balance between the volume of space, and the level of neurotoxins I introduce. So far, the cut-up flea strip idea seems the most practical.

I had previously used cut up cedar closet liner planks in my boxes--but they dry out quickly and lack the ability to kill the way the flea collars do. A cedar chest would work, especially one with a tight seal, but I would need at least a half dozen of them.

I live in the midwest--which is cold and dry in the winter, and hot and humid in the summer--but with AC and mechanical humidification, this is all pretty moot. As one entomologist told me, bugs will live wherever there's food for them to eat.

I have one incoming Collins cape (bought on the secondary market, not directly from Charlie) that was infected and got past my quarantine measures. It only affected a few capes, with zero feather loss. But the little black 1mm eggs/shucks on the goat hair I still can't identify--and I think came from the New Buffalo stay--some insects in the studio there--located among dunes and dune grass. Strangely, they are only on the goat, as far as I can tell. All of that material has been quarantined with flea collars. The goat hair has all been thrown out. Not taking any chances here.

bb

76 plastic tubs? That sounds pricey if you lose them. $180.00 is approximately what it will cost to treat them. I suppose you have to ask yourself is it worth it.

I will say this, cedar is a preventative, not a cure. And a poor preventative at that.

I like these: https://enozhome.com/product/moth-ball-packets/ They need to be replaced every so often but do a great job.