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  1. #1
    MSPAWS
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Brighton, MA, USA
    Posts
    1

    Unhappy Bug infestation in photo albums

    Found out have a serious carpet and other beetles infestaton as well as water bugs.
    Spent all summer trying to erridacate. Just found evidence of bugs in all my photo albums and loose photo piles. How do I (1) get rid of them (2) clean up the residule bug mess ?
    I haven't seen any live bugs in the albums but see lots of bug carcassas.
    What will happen to my photos (some are very very old) if I put all albums as well as loose photos inside air-water- tight containers and add Moth-Tek sachets (for moths and carpet beetle infestaions)

  2. #2
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
    Posts
    15,422

    Re: Bug infestation in photo albums

    This is a tough one. What kind of photos? Are they mostly color prints? Color prints are pretty sensitive to light and chemical exposure. I would be very nervous about what anti-moth chemicals might do to them.

    One thing you might try is looking for a photo lab that still has a wet roller processor. There should still be one in Boston. Then you need to ask them if they can run all your prints through just the wash. I don't know if they'll say yes or what they'd charge you. But that's your best bet to make sure they're as protected as possible - re-wash and re-dry. After that, put them in air/water-tight containers without anti-moth chemicals.

    Another thing you might try is talking to a good archival framer / restorer. They should have a better idea of how to handle bugs and photos and what you might do to clean up and protect your photos for the future.
    Photo-John

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  3. #3
    Senior Member freygr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Portland, OR, USA
    Posts
    2,522

    Re: Bug infestation in photo albums

    After cleaning, store in plastic containers with airtight lids in a cool place out of the sun. You should also put a cup size packet of desiccant in the container also. Note heat will damage the color prints and negatives.
    GRF

    Panorama Madness:

    Nikon D800, 50mm F1.4D AF, 16-35mm, 28-200mm & 70-300mm

  4. #4
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Posts
    416

    Re: Bug infestation in photo albums

    I live in a private house, and I have three small children, and they are very afraid of snakes, and she is our territory of them from 10 pieces a day, I thought for a long time what to do and so I came across the site https://envirobug.com.au/collections/snake-repellers where I ordered a snake repeller, and you know what, snakes now do not crawl to me in the yard my children can run quietly without worrying about themselves

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