Museum / Fabric Pest Management
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 Museums, wool and fabric handling & processing establishments, shops and households are constantly tormented by the tiny larvae of fabric pests. These are a small group of insects consisting of two species of moths and few species of beetle, capable of breaking down material containing keratin. Keratin is of animal origin and found in hair, wool, fur, silk, feathers, nails, horns, hooves etc. Clothes moths and carpet beetles are probably the first pests ancient humans encountered, damaging their fur and leather clothes and bone and leather tools (a distinctive characteristic of the case making clothes moth is a silken feeding tube or a hard protective case, often found on fabrics or on walls).
Today, silk and wool are used extensively as clothing and furnishing materials. A single hole in an expensive coat or a patch in a carpet will render it worthless as will fur damaged on a rare trophy in a museum. Damage to stored woollens can be colossal, since it would only be discovered when the clothes are needed in winter!
We also provide a specialised unit called Anoxicator-1™, which has been designed to treat valuable materials, artifacts and exhibits at museums, archives and libraries. Anoxia is lack of oxygen; Anoxicator-1™ creates a low-oxygen environment and when the artifact or material is placed inside the unit and treated, insect pests are killed in all stages of their development. Thus, it is an environment-friendly tool and can be used to treat sensitive textile, paper, paintings, ivory and wooden artifacts. The unit has also been exported to Singapore and Vietnam.
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Most moderate infestations can be controlled by use of low toxic formulations specially developed by PCI. These kill larvae on contact as well as provide a residual effect to take care of any fresh infestations. At the same time, they cause no damage to fabrics. Sometimes, the immediate environment within and outside the house may also have to be treated. Major infestations however, may call for more drastic measures such as fumigation. In all cases, PCI treatment only commences after a thorough inspection.
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