Note to chew on: insect damage to musical instruments.

Area of Science:

• Entomology
• Material Science
• Conservation Science

Background:

• Insects possess diverse ecologies enabling them to utilize manufactured materials as food.
• Musical instruments, particularly wooden ones, are susceptible to insect damage.
• Existing research primarily focuses on xylophagous insects affecting wooden instruments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review existing literature on insect damage to musical instruments.
• To provide recommendations for preventing and managing insect infestations.
• To report a novel case of insect damage to non-wooden instrument components.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search and narrative review.
• Analysis of eight peer-reviewed publications on insect damage to wooden instruments.
• Case study of carpet beetle damage to clarinet key pads.

Main Results:

• Only eight studies met the inclusion criteria, all concerning xylophagous insects on wooden instruments.
• Carpet beetles (Anthrenus verbasci) caused damage to the felt and skin of clarinet key pads.
• This represents the first reported instance of insect damage to non-wooden instrument parts and renders an instrument unplayable.

Conclusions:

• Regular inspection of musical instruments is crucial for early detection of insect activity.
• Prompt treatment of environmental insect infestations is necessary to prevent instrument damage.
• Expert intervention is recommended for treating infested instruments, while cases can be heat-treated or treated with insecticides.