insects consuming materials

[andre_tb22 0]

Hello all, I've been following this forum from a distance for some time now, and am now looking for my first piece of advice. I'm a student and in the past few months I have put together an area within my apartment in which I store materials and tie my flies. However, in the past two or three days I have begun to notice a small amount of what looks to be fruit flies inhabiting the same area. Now, although I am a student, I keep my apartment very clean and have had no flies in other more suitable parts of my apartment such as my kitchen. So, what actions can I take beyond simply putting up a fly catching adhesive strip in order to avoid these bugs having detrimental effects to my materials. Any help would be greatly appreciated, and thanks to everyone for posting such wonderful images and instructional information on this forum, it's been of great help to advance my abilities as a tyer.

Andre

[williamhj 0]

I keep my fur and feathers in plastic containers that seal well.

[Piker20 0]

Well sealing containers, add moth ball to each box,packet etc. When you buy new materials don't assume they are clean just because they are from a shop. Keep them separate in the packet they came in till your sure there are no creepies in there.

I would take all your furs and feathers now, put them in the microwave for a quick second or two and that should kill any eggs or critters if you have any. Then store in airtight thing with mothball.

[rockworm 0]

I keep all my non-synthetic materials in zip-loc bags with a bit of dichlorobenzene (moth crystals.)

[mikechell 0]

Spread some baby powder, fine corn starch or foot powder in the bottoms of drawers, shelves or any other place you keep your materials. Any insects that get into the powder breathe it in. The breathing holes (spiricules, I think they are called) get clogged and the insects die. This works for the tiny bugs like dust mites, too.

[Piker20 0]

Thats a good tip. I use some stuff called Diatomaceous Earth in the chicken house. It works on a principle of slicing the insects at a microscopic level and they die. Never thought of sprinkling some around my tying materials. I will now.

[perchjerker 0]

Let's first clear the air about the 'bugs' that damage fly tying materials. They damage ONLY natural materials; not the synthetics. Moreover, they are the very same bugs that eat cotton, wool, silk, or other natural fibers in clothing. Thus, the same steps that are taken to protect clothing hanging in a closet will do the trick; i.e., mothballs, cedar planks, shavings, etc, whole cloves, to name a few.

 

If what you have are fruit flies---NO PROBLEM! There are two bugs of concern; one a moth, which is the most common, and the other a small beetle. Moths are readily recognizable as such by the way they fly, and their 'delta' (triangular) shape when not flying. They are typically various shades of mottled gray, with the occasion white area thrown in for good measure. Google "Fabric Moth" for pictures.

 

IMHO, the idea that one can bring home such bugs in packaged materials from the shops is unfounded. I base my opinion solely on the fact that the value of the inventory from the original processor all the way to the local retail store is too great for anyone in the chain to risk having their inventory infested.

[Piker20 0]

IMHO, the idea that one can bring home such bugs in packaged materials from the shops is unfounded. I base my opinion solely on the fact that the value of the inventory from the original processor all the way to the local retail store is too great for anyone in the chain to risk having their inventory infested.

 

 

You would think so but I was in a shop recently, looking through their Vernaird capes delivered that day and three had what looked very much like mites crawling at the base of the feather fibres. They might not harm the product but they might harm me?

[Peterjay 0]

I agree with Frank that fruit flies shouldn't be much of a problem. They abound here in the late summer and early fall, and they haven't damaged any materials that I'm aware of. Moths are another story. Once they've infested your stash, you're pretty much screwed. Ziploc bags and moth crystals are your best defense - and if you see a small moth in the house, GET HIM, even if you have to sit up all night with a fly swatter and a burning candle.

[phg 0]

Moth balls is probably the easiest, but also the smelliest. Depending on your aversion to chemicals, you could cut up a dog flea collar and toss bits in each container. There are also no-pest strips that you can do the same thing with. You don't want to come into constant contact with things like that, but in the bottom of a storage bin, there should be no problem. It won't take much in such a small, enclosed area.

 

To stop current infestations, I would suggest washing capes and skins with dog shampoo. It contains mild detergents and a very mild insecticide. Once dried, they should give you no more problems.

[SilverCreek 0]

I have used this nontoxic method for 20 years and have yet to find bugs in my natural materials I gather or get from hunters. It is based on the fact that insects that feed on natural materials in the wild die off when they freeze and then re emerge from the hatching eggs that survive freezing.

 

Remove all the fatty tissue that you can by trimming or scrapping. Then put the material into a zip lock back or a garbage bag if it is too large. Place in a freezer for 2 weeks. This will kill the adults.

 

Keep the bag sealed and allow the eggs to hatch over 2/3 weeks in warm conditions. Replace in the freezer and freeze for another 2 weeks to kill the hatched insects. Then you can wash and dry the materials and store them in a sealed bag or container.

 

If you are paranoid or want to be really sure there are no survivors do another 2/3 week hatch and 2 week freeze before washing and drying the material.

 

There will be no toxic material from chemicals on your materials and no moth ball smell during tying.

[Piker20 0]

There will be no toxic material from chemicals on your materials and no moth ball smell during tying.

 

Fly tying without mothballs is like apple pie without cream. I'd probably have to start sneaking round the sheltered housing sniffing in the old dears wardrobes.

[flytyer56 0]

 

IMHO, the idea that one can bring home such bugs in packaged materials from the shops is unfounded. I base my opinion solely on the fact that the value of the inventory from the original processor all the way to the local retail store is too great for anyone in the chain to risk having their inventory infested.

 

Most of the time what you said is true. But a couple years ago I ordered some mallard flank feathers from a well known supplier. A couple weeks later I get one of the bags out to use it and see little worms crawling in the bag, look at the second bag same thing.

So I call the place I bought them from and they say no problem well send you two new bags. He says let me make sure we have them in stock. A couple minutes later he comes back on the phone and says we have to get more we're out right now. I think they just got a bad batch. They replaced them when the new ones came in without bugs.

So it can happen, but not very often thank goodness.

[Phish 0]

I go an extfa step by putting Sevens powder in envelopes unsealed in natural tying materials.

[RedDeer 0]

I have used zip lock bags for years with no problems, there simple & inexpensive!