How do you kill insects in hackle?

[Wingnutz]

I am new to fly tying and a friend gave me an old box full of materials (he no longer ties). There seem to be mites in a couple of the capes. I have been told to microwave them for 5-10 seconds, but I was wondering if anyone had any other tried and true methods.

Thanks.

Dave

[SteveP]

You can use the freeze thaw method, basically just pop it in the freezer over night then take it out for 30 minutes to an hour then pop it back in......... repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat............. I like to freeze it at least 5-6 times before I feel good about it. I do this with any and all materials that do not come from the fly shop just in case.

Welcome aboard by the way.

Steve

[kbproctor]

Welcome! You will find this a good bunch of folks.

I have done the microwave thing with feathers and hair I have obtained from various sources. They were also washed in flea and tick shampoo like you might use for your dog. Wash, dry, nuke, cool, nuke, cool, and nuke again. Then I store them in ziplock bags with a mothball or part of one.

If a bug gets through that, I am sending it to the DoD to militarize.

[tailingloop]

Put them in a box or bag with a no pest strip. That will fix them.

Wisdom from Al Campbell:

www.flyanglersonline.com/alcampbell/ac020204.php

[James Smith]

If you prefer to avoid poisons you can do the following. Get an ice chest large enough to easily hold all the materials. Place about six ounces of dry ice n the bottom of the ice chest, place your materials in the chest and gently close the lid. DO NOT SEAL IT SHUT or you will end up lookng like Adam on Mythbusters when something goes wrong. The dry ice will dissapate displacng all the oxygen in the chest. Leave it like this for a few hours and your critters will be dead. I would still keep those materials in separate plastic bags and away from my stash for a month or more to make sure that no eggs hatched for a second round of infestation. Just another way to fight the critters that also enjoy our fly tying materials.

Jim Smith

[NJTroutbum]

I keep 4 cedar dresser blocks in each drawer (one in each corner). And in the bottom drawer a lay a no pest strip. I don't keep anything in Tupperware containers, and in 10-12 years have never had a problem.

[quivira kid]

I have a basket in my deep freeze that my wild bird feathers get put in for at least 2 weeks. Ducks are bad about having mites, especially early season. I have had zero problems so far!
After 2 weeks, I take em out, sort, and clean them. Then they get put with my tying stash.

[fishbum]

For a sure thing to kill the bugs and repel them forever do the following:

Wash everything in Woolite or Dawn dishwashing detergent with a hand full of borax in the water.
Rinse well with clear water.
Dry
Seal in a large garbage bag with a hand full of Paradichlorobenzine mothballs. Do not use the naphtha mothballs. Do this for as long as you don't need the material.
Store with a few paradichlorobenzine mothballs in each bag.

This method kills moths, carpet beetles, museum beetles, silver fish, and a host of others plus their eggs. This has worked well for me for over 40 years

Freezing and thawing is a crapshoot. Bugs outdoors go through the winter freezing and thawing. Microwave ovens have small areas inside them that get no radiation. Pet collars and no pest strips don't last long enough and cedar blocks just make things smell good.


fishbum

[narcodog]

For what it's worth I do what some of the others do, freeze for two weeks or longer, wash in Woolite. I use moth crystals to kill and whole cloves to repel. I have had bug problems and lost some stuff, they will chew through zip lock bags if you don't stay after them. I also have five snap top plastic containers that I store my stuff in.

[mahanvey]

Welcome Aboard! I Freeze, then nuke, then place them in a ziploc with a no pest strip for about a month. Then I do it all over again. I've never had any trouble with anything. Wild Turkey, Duck or whatever...