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Pesky Pests

Tackling your uninvited guests!

Insects love warm weather. With populations thriving at this time of year, here are a few ways we’ve been reducing pest numbers…

It’s Easy Freezy!

No pest’s above the thaw
freezer. pest treatment. IPM. conservation treatment

Freezing is an effective and proven method of killing pests, but some insects can produce anti-freeze-like substances that make them freeze tolerant ensuring their survival in sub-zero temperatures!

To prevent pests from entering a state of dormancy or diapause, the temperature of the freezer must drop rapidly. Whilst domestic freezers can be effective at killing pests, they are neither as efficient nor 100% guaranteed compared to our commercial freezer, which reaches temperatures of -40°C.  We are now able to successfully treat objects and eliminate pests within 72 hours.

Muddled Moths

The importance of collaborations within heritage
T-Protect pheromone. webbing clothes moth treatment. pest treatment. conservation

As part of our ongoing parasitoid wasp trial at Burghley House, we have introduced the ‘T-Protect Textile Protector’ pheromone confuser to tackle webbing clothes moth.

In collaboration with Historyonics, T-Protect have now been used alongside parasitoid wasps for eight months, with initial results appearing positive. We will continue to implement this treatment method for a futher four months to gather sufficient data. Follow along on our socials for project updates!

What’s all the Buzz?

Microscopic wasps to the rescue!
parasitoid wasps. burghley house. IPM. pest treatment. conservation
parasitoid wasp. trichogramma evanescens. IPM. pest treatment. conservation

Parasitoid wasps have been used in agriculture for decades, but have gained media traction over the past few years through their application in heritage.

The Landi Company have been using the parasitoid Trichogramma evanescens for the past four years to tackle an ongoing webbing clothes moth infestation at Burghley House. Trichogramma only target the egg stage of the moth lifecycle, and for the next stage of the trial we are looking to introduce a second parasitoid that will target the larval stage of the moth lifecycle.

Application of parasitoids require thorough planning and is best suited to localised treatments that are otherwise inaccessible with other forms of IPM. 

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History’s Textiles Conserved

Based in The Stable Courtyard of Burghley House, The Landi Company offers a full range of textile conservation services including research, conservation and presentation of textiles, tapestries and family heirlooms to the highest standards

Read the full article here: Stamford Pride and Rutland Pride September 2025  https://www.pridemagazines.co.uk/stamford/view-magazines?magazine=September-2025

Previous Features…

Burghley: A Stable of Specialist Skills. Stamford Living May 2025 https://stamfordandrutlandliving.co.uk/ 

Publications

Parasitoid Wasps at Burghley House

presented at the Pest Odyssey Open Meeting 2025

Available to watch online      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzWRaWwB4ek

published in Textile Conservation: Advances in Practice (2nd Edition) Edited by Frances Lennard, Patricia Ewer, Laura Mina. Routledge, 2024

ISBN 9781032415819

Case Study: the Application of Trichogramma Evanescens Westwood (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) as a Novel Integrated Pest Management Solution against Webbing Clothes Moth Tineola Bisselliella Hummel (Lepidoptera: Tineidae) at Burghley House, Stamford, UK

published in IIC (online) Studies in Conservation journal March 2023 

Making of The Beds at Burghley

presented at the DATS 2022 Conference ‘Skeletons in the closet: the legacies of dress and textiles collection practices’

presented at the Icon Textile Group’s Spring Forum 2021 ‘Conservation Out in the Open: The Challenges of Displaying and Conserving Textiles on Open Display’

a conversation with Sheila Landi and Icon, 2020

The Textile Conservator’s Manual

by Sheila Landi 

available to buy online