Bug attack on feathers???

[salmo]

I've been fly tying for 40 years and never had a problem with moths and the like. Today, I started doing flies for a SwapFest and in one of the desk drawers discovered pepper sized bits....On checking things out I found large rice sized casings and smaller ones with dark ends on them and on closer inspection saw that a larvae was coming out of one of the casings.

I immediately began a clean-out and found dozens of the casings. I disposed of most of what was there. One cock cape in particular was practically limbed. It was purchsed in the UK about 25 yearsb ago. (I.e. the problem is recent).

I'm in the process of doing every drawer (nothing else so far) in the desk and everything I have in containers (nothing so far).

Has anyone had a similar problem? I purchased moth balls this evening and as each drawer is cleaned I'm adding one to the drawer. I remember a sports shop here (Corner Brook NL) years ago that carried a huge amount of fly tying material and mothballs made up the unique scent in the place. Given the amount of material it must have worked because there was never a complaint.

I'll place everything in Ziplocs for protection.

Any input appreciated.

Keith P.

[RG/AR]

Keith, make sure to use moth balls, the crystals don't work nearly as well, and cedar scent is useless. I found some lavendar scented mothballs a couple of days ago and bought them. The active ingredient was the same. I'm trusting a couple of Denny Conrad's JV roosters to them, so I hope they work as well as the original models.

[Deezel]

I don't think anything available for our use works as well as mothballs. Obviously the strength of the smell depends on how much you use but the smell dissipates very quickly when exposed to air. About something you wrote - If you place material in a zip lock bag, seal it, place it in a drawer and place a mothball or two in the drawer, I don't know if the chemical will do anything to kill bug(larvae) already in the bag. I'd place a piece of the mothball in the bag for awhile.

Deezel

[TyroneFly]

I feel for you. I had an infestation late last year. Below is a link to a post I started and the help I got to rid the little buggers. I used to be a cedar and clove use now I use mothballs.

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/s...ad.php?t=17279

[ducksterman]

You might search the archieves and see what Al Campbell had to say on the subject.

[billknepp]

Never trust hackle capes or pelts to a drawer...or zippylock anything...Get yourself some plastic tub's..The kind with tight sealing lids..and even still..Do not store these on or near the floor..keep them shelved as high as you can....What you've discribed, sounds like carpet beetles...I've lost a hen cape or two, to the nasty little buggers...Anything with a skin or hide should never be stored in a drawer..as they are not sealed tight and any little creatures WILL find their way into them eventually....

[jmeyerc]

I bought a Pheasant rump to make some Mrs Simpson flies and didn't notice anything wrong till i wondered why i was throwing away alot of the feathers which looked 'damp' - then i noticed that the skin had black specks over it, upon closer inspection i found a dead bug inside the folds of the skin, and not a small one either - it had eaten a fair part of the skin as well as some of the feathers. because i hadn't opened the bag when i got it 2 years ago - i rang friend Steve at the fly shop and because i still had the bug (put it into a tiny sealed bag) they said no problem they would replace it. so i am very lucky indeed.

I thought that fly shops were safe so i don't check the feathers over straight away. i will in future. i do not buy feathers very often as the budget doesn't allow it. my sister got me tons of feathers from the Gannet (Australian / New Zealand bird) colony some are useable, some not so, but all are curved so it is hard to use them for much. but i try. with them i froze them for a week or so then put them into ziplock bags and air tight containers. also i got some mothballs and everything is in plastic bins with tight lids. except of course the long pheasant feathers i got on sale - they are on the desk in a container which i keep checking. i thought of maybe putting a mothball into that long tin as well.

Jeanne

[William Fitzgerald]

Another FAOL member and I get together now and then and tonight he asked me if I seen that someone had bug problems again. Each time this comes up we write to use "Paradichlorobenzene" "ENOZ Moth Ball Crystals" Keith wouldn't have thrown his hackle away if he had just put them in a air tight container for a couple days with the crystals. No Clinging Oder, Kills Bugs Beetles,eggs and larvea when used in a air tight container.-------BILL

[TyroneFly]

I washed my infested capes in woolite. Rinsed and air dried. Then placed capes in new bags with the seal left opened and placed that into an air tight plastic storage container with about 10-12 Enoz mothballs (main ingredient listed as Paradichlorobenzenein) in a plastic condiment size jar to contain the mothballs. After 10 days I sealed the plastic bages. All my materials are now stored with mothballs. No more will I trust just cedar and cloves. Wish I could, but they did not stop buggers from getting to my stuff.

Because I don't want my kids getting into the mothballs I store my materials up high in the garage and take out what I need when I tie. It works fine this way. Since I open the bins with the garage door open I get plenty of fresh air while picking out what I need and there is no clinging odor on the bags that I bring into the house.

[Jax]

ALL and ANY Capes Feathers Hide or Hair that comes my way. weather from a Bonifide dealer Or friend. Gets Quarantined.

It goes into a plastic bag with Mothballs for Ten Days then into the freezer for ten days and thaws out back in a plastic bag with mothballs.

Long and convaluted quarantine perhaps, but so far [ Touch Wood ] Not a greebie in sight. Not bad for fifty odd years.

Quarantine is an absolute must. I may be going overboard some. But! If it ain't broke don't fix it. Have Fun. Jax