Controlling Insect Pests with Low Temperature
Source: Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) Notes 3/3
Low temperature control is currently used along with other pest management techniques to kill insects within collections. Many insects adapt in order to survive cold temperatures, yet low temperatures have been used to successfully control insect populations in the fur and food industries for over a century. While there is still some lack of knowledge on the specific responses to cold by certain museum insect pests, enough is known to establish guidelines for treatment (Strang, 1992). These guidelines are based on the lethal temperatures and exposure times published in the entomological literature, on the knowledge of how insects survive cold, and on successful treatment over past decades.
