Dealing with pests
Public records are vulnerable to damage from insects, rodents, and other pests. Many pest species reproduce rapidly and can cause significant, irreversible damage before infestations are detected.
Any evidence of pest activity should be investigated as even low levels of pest activity can lead to significant damage over time. A plan to manage pests will help prevent damage to records.
On this page
What to look for
Pests like silverfish, cockroaches, some beetles and moths, rodents, and timber pests such as termites and borers can cause direct damage to public records.
Others such as geckos, birds, and spiders, possums, snakes, bats, and rodents can cause indirect damage to public records through droppings or carcasses, nesting habits, webbing, or attracting other species.
Different pests have specific habits and preferences. Many favour the conditions found in records storage areas. For example, silverfish prefer dark, damp, and enclosed environments, are mostly nocturnal and stay close to their food source. Like many pests, if you see them in daylight hours or general areas, it may indicate a significant infestation.
Pests can be identified from actual sightings, shed casings, their droppings and from the type of damage they do.
Common types of damage include:
- silverfish surface grazing on paper, photographs, adhesives, and book bindings
- cockroaches staining and chewing holes in documents
- beetles and moths grazing on paper, textiles, leather, and adhesives
- rodents chewing boxes, files, and electrical wiring.
How to manage pests
Integrated pest management
Integrated pest management (IPM) is a holistic, preventive, risk-based approach to pest control that minimises the use of pesticides. While pesticides remain a component of IPM, they are typically considered a last resort rather than the primary method of pest control.
Effective IPM focuses on prevention, monitoring, early detection, and targeted response. Rather than reacting to infestations after damage occurs, IPM aims to create conditions that discourage pests from entering, surviving, and reproducing in storage areas.
An effective IPM program:
- helps preserve records
- reduces professional treatment costs
- supports preservation of public records.
Nominate an IPM officer to:
- ensure procedures are followed
- train all relevant staff
- coordinate between areas (for example facilities management, work health and safety staff)
- act as a main point of contact.
Prevention is the most effective pest management strategy. Some tips to prevent pest damage to public records are:
- Keep storage and work areas clean and free from dust.
- Prohibit food and drink in records storage areas.
- Seal cracks, gaps, and other potential entry points into buildings.
- Use appropriate archival enclosures and storage systems.
- Don’t store records directly on floors.
Maintaining stable environmental conditions helps reduce the likelihood of infestations. Avoid warm, damp, and poorly ventilated environments whenever possible.
- Monitor relative humidity (RH) in record storage areas and work areas. Many insect pests thrive when relative humidity exceeds 60%, making environmental monitoring an important component of pest management.
- Promptly repair leaks and water ingress.
- Ensure good air circulation.
- Investigate unexplained increases in humidity or moisture.
Regular monitoring allows pest activity to be detected and addressed before significant damage occurs. Monitoring should be ongoing rather than undertaken only when a problem is suspected.
- Conduct routine inspections of records storage areas.
- Place sticky blunder traps in areas where pests are likely to be found such as skirting boards, behind cupboards, or near entrances.
- Avoid use of baits as they provide reduced visibility of pest activity and concealed carcasses can lead to other problems
- Check traps regularly and record findings. Monitoring results should be documented and reviewed to identify trends and emerging risks.
- Look for signs such as frass (droppings), insect remains, webbing, grazing damage, holes, nesting materials, and mould growth.
Incoming records returning from external locations, office stationery and packaging may introduce pests. Before moving incoming records to storage:
- Inspect incoming records and containers.
- Isolate suspect materials.
- Examine packing materials for evidence of infestation.
- Avoid stockpiling unused packaging materials and boxes.
- Processing incoming records in a designated quarantine area can significantly reduce the risk of introducing pests into records storage.
Eradicating pests
When pests are found and an infestation is likely:
- seek professional advice.
- collect any pests found and have them identified
- assess the extent of any infestation
- isolate affected materials.
- address any underlying environmental or housekeeping issues found
- document pest remediation activities
- conduct follow-up monitoring.
Freezing
If records are infested and cleaning each individual public record is not an option, then freezing is an alternative 'passive' non-chemical treatment. When undertaken correctly, freezing will kill pests at all life stages, including eggs. However, it provides no ongoing protection against future infestations.
The infested records are double-wrapped air-tight in plastic to avoid condensation damage, then palletised and frozen. Freezing temperatures must be below -18°C for a minimum of 48 hours. The records are then slowly thawed to room temperature without opening. Repeat the process to ensure effectiveness.
Before reintroducing treated records into the storage area:
- monitor for at least one month to make sure the treatment has been effective
- make sure any environmental or housekeeping issues have been rectified.
Pesticides
Pesticides and fumigants should only be used as a last resort due to:
- the risk of damaging the records
- potential environmental and health impacts
- the development of pesticide resistance in pest populations.
They may not be effective on all life stages and multiple treatments may be required. They should only be applied by a qualified pest control specialist.
Some public record formats are more susceptible to the chemicals in pesticides than others. Audiovisual formats (photographs, films) are particularly vulnerable. Some electronic devices such as flash drives and portable hard drives could also be damaged by pesticides.
If pesticides must be used, make sure they have:
- a short active life
- low toxicity
- a reduced risk of damage to public records (for example, pyrethrums and synthetic pyrethroids).
Keep a copy of safety data sheets for all pesticides used and document the treatment.
Early detection, good housekeeping, environmental control, and regular monitoring are the most effective ways to prevent pest damage to public records. An integrated pest management approach reduces risk while minimising the need for chemical treatments.
Resources and tools
Resources and tools for records management have been developed to help you implement best practice records management in your public authority.
Contact us
Stay informed about the latest news and developments by visiting our News and events for records management page. If you have any questions or need further information on records management send us a query or phone (07) 3037 6777.