Transportation of Wood Boring Beetles in Wooden Transport Boxes, Wooden Pallets, and Newly Bought Wood in Museums

In the past, woodborers likeA. punctatumandX. rufovillosumwere widespread in historic furniture, households, and building structures, but as they need a high wood moisture content and central heating and climate control have become common today their occurrence is rare and often limited to open-air museums, rural museums, and historic buildings. In this paper, we report on the spread and transportation of different wood-boring beetles with wooden pallets, wooden transport boxes used for art transportation, and also the rising problem of differentLyctusspecies (powder post beetles) in new wood used in museums. Not only the nativeLyctus linearisbut also the introducedL. brunneus,L. cavicollis,andL. africanuscan be found in transport boxes (nine cases in Germany between 2003 and 2015), infestations of new picture frames (three cases in Austria between 2010 and 2015), and new wood sold to carpenters in museum and conservation studios (used for new stretcher and picture frames, two cases in Austria). In some cases (two in Germany) a newly-laid parquet floor was infested by powder post beetles. The house longhorn beetle (H. bajulus), the furniture beetle (A. punctatum), and the AnobiidOligomerus ptilinoideswere all found infesting wooden pallets inside museum stores (five cases in Austria). New wooden pallets and transport boxes are treated once with heat after production, but our examples show that infestation and transportation of wood pests are still possible and are a new challenge for integrated pest management (IPM) in the future. We examine and discuss the materials used to transport art and possible measures to combat and prevent pests (plastic pallets or the use of other wood types). In addition, the biology and life-history of powderpost beetles is described.

Automated summary

The paper discusses the spread and transportation of wood-boring beetles and powder post beetles with wooden pallets and transport boxes used for art transportation, as well as the rising issue of infestations in new wood used in museums. Despite treatment with heat, infestation and transportation of wood pests are still possible, posing a new challenge for integrated pest management in the future. Measures to combat and prevent pests, such as the use of plastic pallets or other wood types, are also discussed.