[CAUT] Critter-damaged punchings

[Israel Stein]

At 11:01 AM 5/11/2007, James Ellis wrote:
>Whenever I would find moth-critter damage to punchings, I would strip the
>keybed clean - puncings, key cloth, and all, clean the whole piano
>thoroughly, looking for any evidence of moth eggs.  If I found them, the
>job would become more extensive.  After that, there would usually be no
>problem, provided the piano was cleaned once in a while.
>
>Tuners Supply Company used to have a moth proofing liquid called X-Hale.
>Fumes from that stuff were so strong they would make your eyes burn.  There
>was no water in it.  One would soak the insides of the piano with it, close
>it up, and cover it for 24 hours.  No live critters or eggs would be left
>after that, and the funes would soon dissipate after opening the piano back
>up.
>
>That was 60 years ago.  I don't have that problem now.  Israel, do you find
>the damage in several pianos?  If so, there is a common source of these
>critters, and perhaps you should get the pest control people involved.
>Clean the pianos out, and replace anything that shows any sign of critter
>gnawing.  You don't want to leave any critter eggs in there.
>
>Good Luck,  Jim Ellis


Jim,

Thanks for the information. We found the problem in several pianos - 
but only in Asian ones: Yamahas and the Korean Kohler & Campbells, 
all about 10 years old. No problems with American pianos - and we do 
have lots of much older Steinways, Baldwins, Wurlitzers and Everetts 
at the school. So we suspect that the critters are imported with the 
pianos from the source country and are not a local infestation. I 
hear that this is common. Since there are no wool furnishings around 
here - curtains, stuffed chairs, carpets, etc. - I don't see how 
these critters would spread from piano to piano. Add I don't see 
moths flying around. But then there is the theater department on the 
other end of the building - costume shop, wardrobe, prop storage... 
Hmm...  Maybe I should check with them about moth damage in their stuff...

Yamaha sent us a bunch of replacement punchings free - but I hesitate 
to put them in pianos, since they might be the source of the 
infestation... Maybe fumigating them with or dipping them in one of 
the suggested substances before use might be a good idea?

Israel Stein.