The caribou was collected in 1892 by UI graduate student, Frank Russell.

Retired from display 30 years ago due to declining condition, the specimen nonetheless retains considerable historic and scientific value.

A regular inspection of the collection by the staff uncovered Dermestid beetles multiplying on the caribou.

Dermestis species are common scavenger insects found everywhere devouring fur, feathers, skin and bones of dead animals. They can do serious damage in a Musem if they go undiscovered for very long.

How do museums get rid of bugs?

Chemicals are rarely used in museums for pest control today. Instead, museums rely on cleanliness and regular inspections to prevent infestations.

Few chemicals have been found safe for humans without special training and expensive safety equipment. Also, very little is known about chemicals' effects on specimens. Evidence is growing that many damage the things curators are trying to protect.

Today when bugs are found in Museums the-treatment of choice is to kill them by deep-freezing. Unfortunately, a regular walk-in or frost-free freezer doesn't get cold enough to kill the insects which are adapted to survive normal winter temperatures. Millard Refrigerated Services came to the rescue!

Shrink-wrapping a caribou for the freezer:

Sealing the specimen air-tight keeps water from condensing on it when it is removed from the freezer.

Museum students Cathy Diebold and Sara Laue constructed the caribou's three-layer space-suit from plastic sheeting and duct tape. It retained its vacuum for the complete 60 days of treatment.

Many thanks are owed to the University's Surplus Sales department and Joe Deutsch, Tim Gerlits and "D" Alexander for their assistance with transporting the caribou across town to Millards. Thanks too to Bob Kutcher, campus moving manager, who contributed a dolly to make the moving easy.

Scott Gunder, Millard Refrigerated Services Plant Manager.

Scott and his crew at Millards managed the entire 90-day process of cycling the caribou in and out of the freezer to ensure all the beetles were killed.