Tip #8: Creepy crawlies won’t wait for an invitation to come for dinner.

It’s one thing to set an extra place at dinner, but uninvited guests in the archives are a different story. And we’re not talking about a researcher without an appointment. If you’re not careful this holiday season, you might be providing a meal for hungry bookworms too.

But what exactly is a “bookworm” anyway? Well, first of all they’re not worms. “Bookworm” is a broad term that actually refers to any insect that feeds off book material. And there’s a lot. This includes things like beetles, moths, cockroaches, silverfish, ants, and of course the dreaded termites.

As with much archival damage, the best approach is always prevention. Bugs tend to prefer warm humid dinner parties, so avoid fluctuations in temperature and relatively high humidity. And of course, never ever share your Thanksgiving leftovers with them. No matter how delicious your second aunt’s green bean casserole is, crumbs might as well be an open invitation for an infestation. Preventing pests is a little like thawing a turkey. If you want to avoid panicking, you have to plan ahead. Also, you can’t do it in one day.

Critters aside though, from our Backlog family to yours, happy Thanksgiving!

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