Dealing with bow bugs

[PhilipKT]

I know that mothballs in a case will effectively deal with the little insect that eats bow hair. My question is how long do we need to treat the case, does the case need to be sealed, how many mothballs do I need, and because this case sees daily use, is there any Less smelly and inconvenient way to deal with the bow bugs?
 

Asking for a friend...

[Rue]

Uh-huh.

Hang the bow up in a nice airy space.

Put the case in the freezer. Leave it there for a few days...up to a week. See if anything is left alive.

Also - once you've taken it out of the freezer, leave it out in the open, opened up to make sure no one new moves in.

However - if "your friend" just goes back to keeping the bow and case under the same conditions - bugs will eventually return. They will need to address the larger picture; why are the bugs there in the first place?

Check in with the local pest control company - ask what they would suggest to do in your neck of the woods. Different environments call for different control measures.

[PhilipKT]

It’s a cello case. Not nearly a big enough freezer.

[Rue]

Ohhh...thought you meant a bow case!

Cello case - I would put that out - open - in the sun - for an hour or two, over the course of several days.  Leave it open and airy when it's inside too.  The beetles don't like airy and dry, they prefer dark and damp...

[DonLeister]

https://sawyer.com/products/permethrin-insect-repellent-treatment/

I have used this for years on many cases on Johnson Strings recommendation. It is water-based and will not foul bow hair.

[Bill Yacey]

I think it was Mike Molnar that recommended Spike Lavender oil; a couple drops in the case every 4 months or so, and I haven't ever seen any sign of bow bugs since.

[FenwickG]

Put everything in a large leakproof plastic bag and introduce Halon fire extinguisher gas. seal the bag and leave it for a day. The gas won't harm the instrument or bow but takes the oxygen out of the air and suffocates the little devils. Halon is hard to get since it has stopped being used for fire extinguishers other than race cars and aircraft.

[Bill Merkel]

5 hours ago, FenwickG said:

Halon is hard to get since it has stopped being used for fire extinguishers other than race cars and aircraft.

companies donate to politicians in return for competing products being declared dangerous and made illegal.  btdt. probably the only reason anything is illegal.

if you like the freezer idea, wait a couple of months, tie it to your car roof and drive to n. dakota and back.  btdt too

i agree permethrin is good stuff but it stinks even worse than the other ideas

[Wood Butcher]

13 hours ago, PhilipKT said:

is there any Less smelly and inconvenient way to deal with the bow bugs?
 

Asking for a friend...

Bugs don't like spiders, but spiders love bugs. You have spiders in Texas, right?

[Brad Dorsey]

8 hours ago, FenwickG said:

Put everything in a large leakproof plastic bag and introduce Halon fire extinguisher gas. seal the bag and leave it for a day. The gas won't harm the instrument or bow but takes the oxygen out of the air and suffocates the little devils. Halon is hard to get since it has stopped being used for fire extinguishers other than race cars and aircraft.

If you can't get Halon, this idea would also work with any available oxygen-free gas -- nitrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, etc.

[TJ Fuss]

8 minutes ago, Brad Dorsey said:

If you can't get Halon, this idea would also work with any available oxygen-free gas -- nitrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, etc.

I wonder if "Bloxygen" would work. IIRC, it's argon gas used to displace oxygen in partially used containers of paint or varnish.

[martin swan]

Bow mites are generally quite visible and their mortal coils are shuffled off relatively easily!

If you can't find the little feller in the case, I would just take a vacuum/hoover to it ....

[Rue]

...and if ALL that fails, let me know.

I have just certified in Insect Psychic Communication. We can set up a meeting over the phone. I  will talk with the insects and explain how "your friend" would prefer they live elsewhere. That will solve the issue without undue effort. No smells or harsh chemicals involved.

I take PayPal.

[Jeff White]

Bottom line, if there is movement of the case, they will never show up.  Only if it sits.  They hate movement, light and activity.  Just play the cello once in awhile.  If that's not possible, just hang the bow up in the open, maybe in a closet.  They are especially prominent in clarinet and flutes that sit.  Total infestation in no time.  Much worse than we deal with in the violin industry.  Never happens if there is movement, only sitting instruments.

 

[Mat Roop]

Try this and a mylar bag... works wonders... safe & easy.  Just remember that the absorbtion of oxygen reduces the air volume in the bag...so be careful not to crush the case or instrument from the atmospheric pressure.  

I used it for wood worm in a violin and left it in the sealed bag for 1 month.... seemed to work but one is never too sure!....  Cheers, Mat

https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/oxygen-absorbers-pack-of-100/6000189653084

https://foodal.com/knowledge/things-that-preserve/oxygen-absorbers/