Hackle Cape Looks Infested

[Steiner 0]

I have a Whiting Ginger pro grade cape that I bought within the last three months and have barely used. Today as I was tying some stimulators for the summer, I noticed a bunch of the feathers look like something has been eating them. There are spots all over that have barbules gone or chewed down close to the stem. I looked carefully and saw no little critter, but the cape looks like it has mild dandruff. I'll try to take pictures and post what I'm seeing later. Anyone have any ideas.

 

I store it in the original ziploc bag inside a drawer. The other capes in the drawer look ok.

[rockworm 0]

A picture might help. The "dandruff" could be pest droppings. But it could also be bits of membrane from the pin feather wrappings. Remove all the loose debris from the cape & bag and examine under magnification. Pest poop will be more-or-less uniform in diameter and length. Pin feather wrappings will be irregular flakes. It is the larvae that do the damage. If you don't see them, look for the quiescent pupae they will have become. Quarantine this cape and check others that may have come into contact with it.

[Phish 0]

Put SEVEN powder in a envelope and put it inside the bag.This will irritate them and kill em. good luck!

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

First things first, kill any bugs and get that cape away from any other materials... My first action if I find bugs is to toss the suspect material -not into the garbage but into the freezer.... That way you can actually use the cape, bug damage and all. Make a point of very carefully cleaning out any drawer where the cape has been and add some moth balls or crystals to any materials that were in that drawer...

 

Once your cape has remained frozen for a week or so remove, carefully dry it off, then place in a new bag with moth balls or crystals. Periodically re-examine it to see if there's any remaing active bugs. Any sign of addtional bugs...then it goes in the round file. Hope this helps.

 

Tight lines

Bob LeMay

(954) 435-5666

[FlyTieDad 0]

Which would be better at preventing this, cedar or moth balls?

[utyer 0]

Moth balls, cedar may discourage bugs but it won't kill them. I have used moth balls for more than 30 years, and I don't have any problems with bugs, and no problems with the smell. I even keep mothballs in the big sweater box I keep my flies in.

[shoebop 0]

Phish said:

Put SEVEN powder in a envelope and put it inside the bag.This will irritate them and kill em. good luck!

 

I always like to irritate my bugs before I kill them!

[Peterjay 0]

The first thing to do is isolate the infestation. Put the sealed-up cape far, far away from your other stuff. Like in another building. Clean and thoroughly vacuum your tying and storage areas. Spray if you want to. Seal up your other stuff in individual containers and watch them like a hawk. Freezing won't kill most vermin eggs. If it did, Alaska and Maine would be bug-free, and believe me, they're anything but. You'd have to keep the material frozen for a very long period of time to keep any eggs from hatching. The two things that will definitely kill the bugs are heat and poison, neither of which are gonna do you or the cape any good. I'd toss the cape - it might be an expensive lesson, but it beats losing your entire collection of materials. Once you see any adult insects, you'll have to start the process all over again - that'll mean there are probably new eggs somewhere, and they're extremely difficult to detect until they hatch. It only takes two moths to start a family.

[streamcaddis 0]

I use cedar chips I have used them for years. I change them once a year. The moth Balls work but they really sink up the tying room. I also store all my materials in zip lock bags I have never had a problem in 50 years.

[SilverCreek 0]

This is the best information I found.

 

"Debugging materials

1. Until proven otherwise, any new material to a collection is to be considered contaminated - no matter what the source.
2. Until proven otherwise, a room of tying materials is contaminated by "bugs" - always be on the lookout.
3. Some bug killers are carciciogenic, so take care in handling and avoid prolonged breathing.
4. Microwawing cannot be depended on to kill eggs, larvae and/or adults.
5. Freezing will kill larvae and adults but cannot be depended upon to kill eggs.
6. To kill, commercial bug sprays can be sprayed/poured onto a rag which is then sealed in a container with buggy materials. Again, this may not kill all eggs. After this process, wash the material to remove the insecticide
7. If moth crystals are used, seal them with the material
   1. This fumigates the material
   2. It reduces fumes in the storage area.
   3. Reduces waste of crystals (slows evaporation).
   4. Pararadichlorobenzene kills, naphthalene deters.
8. Specifically for vanegated Carpet Beeles, a way to kill them is to cycle them. Their hatching is cyclic over a period ot about 30-45 days. Place the material into a plastic bag in the freezer for overnight. Then bring the material out and place in a room temperature, dark location for 30-45 days Again place the material back into the freezer. Another solution is to periodically open up the entire room to extremes of hot or cold. For instance during the heat of summer or cold of winter open the window to the room that your tying materials are in. These bugs do not tolerate extremes of hot or cold. Prepare the room accordingly so that nothing is damaged by these extreme climate changes, such as moisture on furniture, etc."

http://globalflyfisher.com/staff/luallen/wayne1.htm

[Steiner 0]

The dandruff looking stuff is irregular shaped flakes. I isolated the cape too. I have all my stuff stored in individual bags too so the cape never really touched anything else. I'll try and take a picture tonight.

[BLACKKNIGHT1361 0]

I use cedar chips and bay leaves and don't have a problem, my hackles are stored in a air tight container with cedar chip and bay leaves inside all other materials are kept in zip lock bags