If you live in a tropical region where wet climates can be rather extensive, as the northwestern state of Penang in Malaysia, termite infestation is sure to give you a consistent headache. Pests are ugly. They often transfer disease and leave their own mess behind. Another problem with pests is that some are destructive. Anything that is not moving is organic, and is not sealed properly is vulnerable to damage from insects, rodents, and birds.
For instance, mice bore into wood, which includes skirting boards, walls, furniture, and more. They eat into cardboard boxes, making food unsafe. Termites make holes in wooden structures, even fences and the supporting beams of porches. Aphids, slugs, and other garden creatures cause pest damage to flower and vegetable beds.
Imagine a museum and how much devastation can be wrought there. The National Park Service lists a number of insects and their favorite foods, all of which can be found in various museums throughout the world. After all, there is not a museum anywhere which does not contain something made of leather, wood, fabric, or paper. Even a car museum contains leather at the very least.
Wherever fabrics are concerned (tapestries, carpets, embroidery), some of the worst culprits are carpet beetles, hide beetles (fond of leather), and clothes moths. These can decimate a collection of antique clothing, hats, seat cushions on old chairs, and more if left to do their dirty work for too long. To prevent damage, it is best to vacuum vulnerable fabrics regularly. This will pick up the adult insects and their eggs. Also, the use of repellents (strong-smelling items moths hate) will keep them away.
When it comes to wood, the two biggest enemies (apart from fire) are powderpost beetles and termites. Even ancient, carved vessels are not considered sacred by these six-legged creatures. Drugstore beetles and cigarette beetles, on the other hand, enjoy getting their jaws around dry, stored items like beans, fruits, seeds, and so on. If you have ever seen a bag of dried goods in a burlap sack at a recreated general store, that sack could be the hiding place for numerous tiny creatures. It is better to replace burlap or any other organic material with glass jars or replace real dried foods with plastic ones. Then you just have to worry about clothes moths eating the sack.
Finally, the paper seems to have many enemies. Time and human skin oils are hard enough, but silverfish and firebrats have no sympathy for time-worn copies of Macbeth or Pride and Prejudice either. Between these paper-eating insects and the leather eating hide beetles, a meal for the mind could be a meal in another sense as well. Reducing the humidity in paper-laden areas is one idea Pest control Penang agencies recommend. The easiest way to do this is to invest in a good dehumidifier.
The most important things which curators can do are to protect their exhibits by blocking out these predators, many of which are only visible upon close inspection. Most libraries enclose their books behind glass or Perspex. Pest control Penang services proactively treat the possibility of insect presence, and can also be used to save an exhibit which has become the victim of intruders.