The restorers dealt with insect protection
Date: February 2023
The three-day course for students of the Faculty of Restoration at the University of Pardubice, which dealt with integrated protection against insect pests in collection institutions, was led by the renowned Austrian lecturer Dr. Pascal Querner.
Dr. Pascal Querner is an experienced specialist in the field of integrated pest management in cultural heritage environments, which is known worldwide under the acronym IPM (Integrated Pest Management). Dr. Querner has been working in this field for over 20 years. He is currently working with more than 40 institutions in Austria and other countries (e.g. the Art and History Museum or the Natural History Museum in Vidno, etc.) to promote IPM and educate the professional and general public.
The course combined theoretical lectures and a practical part. The university students could try out a non-toxic and low-maintenance method of treating an infested object using oxygen absorbers in a closed space on the principle of so-called Anoxia. Or visit the premises of the castle in Litomyšl with a demonstration of setting traps for monitoring the presence of insect pests. The students also focused on the relationship of objects with the surrounding environment and on the shortcomings of buildings and traces indicating the presence of pests. In the practical part, they created their own collection of the most commonly occurring pests and used posters and zoological keys to identify specific representatives. Dr. Querner introduced the students to current international practice and current trends and strategies applied by major European museums, galleries and archives to protect their collections.
