Help! Bugs are eating my brushes!

[DrAwkward]

Twice now I have found a small pile of short badger hairs underneath one of my nine brushes, which hang bristles down from a wooden rack.
Both times, when I shook out the brush, a small brown bug fell out. It was maybe 3mm long. I'm assuming the bug was what they call a "bow bug" that is famous for eating violin bow string. Side note: we have several violin and cello bows in the house that have never been attached by these bugs.
The damage to the two brushes was relatively minor, but I don't want it to happen again!
Any ideas?
Has anyone else had their brushes attacked by bugs?

 

[Seveneighth]

Once dry I store expensive watercolor brushes in an air tight container with a cedar ball.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Wow. Can you attach cedar strips to this brush rack?

 

[Animag771]

This caught my attention since I'd never heard of such a bug. I just finjsfin reading a lengthy article on them to learn more about what they are and how to get rid of them. They go by other names as well, but are classified as dermestids... flesh eating beetles. They are very interesting little creatures and are apparently used a lot in taxidermy for skeleton preparation.

None of that is much use to you however. The article I was reading was from a string instument repair shop and a lot of the solutions wouldn't really help for a brush. The best I could find was to vacuum the bristles with the vacuum nozzle to suck up any larvae that could possibly be in there then set the brush in strong (but not direct) sunlight for the day in a spot where the hair can breath. The only other possible thing that may help and doesn't involve chemical treatment is the use of Cedar. Either as a storage option or in the form of essential oils.

It seems that the most important thing is to use your brush often and not to store it unused for long periods of time. There's a couple things these bugs like... Darkness, concealment and being left undisturbed.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Yuck. A good wash with Dawn and then some cedar nearby sounds like the ticket.

 

[sarimento1]

Perhaps, once they have dried after use, keep your brushes in a bin with a tight lid.

 

[Twelvefret]

Carpet beetles aka wooly bear probably. They can ruin a violin bow. They are common.

 

[ajkel64]

Very interesting, I store my brushes in an air tight plastic container so they should be fine. The odd ones in the bathroom drawer I might have to pay attention to.

 

[John Rose]

The only insects to invade my bathroom are Asian lady beetles for a few months last Fall (all gone now) and more recently, springtails.
I didn't even know that the springtails were bugs (they look like coarse-ground pepper) until I saw one seemingly Bamf from one place to another. They are so small that I had to use a 10X loupe to find legs to count. They come from the sides of drainpipes, apparently, and are harmless. I would find them on top of the sink, many drowned in tiny puddles of soapy water. Technically they are hexapods, and not quite "insects". The springtails went away on their own too.

Neither of those attacked my brushes though.

Small spiders are welcome to stay, because they keep out of our way.

As far as getting the bow bugs out of brushes go, how about submerging them in soapy water for a few hours (or days)? All mature insects breathe air, and the soap in the water would break down the surface tension and allow water to enter their spiracles.

Side note: we have several violin and cello bows in the house that have never been attached by these bugs.

Do modern bows still use horse hair, or some synthetic?

 

[DrAwkward]

Thanks for the suggestions. I found some cedar strips and a bag of cedar chips and put those near the brush rack. Next, I washed all of the brushes with Dawn and water and then in a weak vinegar solution (which is a good idea every few months for all brushes).
Let's hope these ideas work!

 

[BigJ]

Thanks for the suggestions. I found some cedar strips and a bag of cedar chips and put those near the brush rack. Next, I washed all of the brushes with Dawn and water and then in a weak vinegar solution (which is a good idea every few months for all brushes).
Let's hope these ideas work!

I (fortunately) have not experienced this issue!! Hope things work out!

 

[OldSkoolMillennial]

They go by other names as well, but are classified as dermestids... flesh eating beetles. They are very interesting little creatures and are apparently used a lot in taxidermy for skeleton preparation.

Say what now?!

 

[Graydog]

Thanks for the suggestions. I found some cedar strips and a bag of cedar chips and put those near the brush rack. Next, I washed all of the brushes with Dawn and water and then in a weak vinegar solution (which is a good idea every few months for all brushes).
Let's hope these ideas work!

How about a Cedar Handle ?

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Maybe a soak in LaCroix water? (A new lawsuit claims the sparkling water contains an ingredient used to kill roaches. ??)

 

[troy]

Small spiders are welcome to stay, because they keep out of our way.

I let spiders live too, I figure they do enough work with bug control to earn their keep.

As far as getting the bow bugs out of brushes go, how about submerging them in soapy water for a few hours (or days)?

Tghat was my first though too.

Do modern bows still use horse hair, or some synthetic?

Just a hack fiddle player answering this one. I think all bows still use real hair. I don't think synth would hold the rosin well, and you don't want stretch in the hairs. The spring comes from the wood (or carbon fiber or fiberglass). Horse hair must be cheap enough not to even bother trying anything else. You can buy a cheap bow with real hair online for $10.

 

[WalterK]

Moths (and their larva) also like to snack on taxidermied critters, and brushes aren't too far off. Check them for eggs just in case.

Might be the excuse needed to order some cedar scented soaps

 

[Animag771]

Might be the excuse needed to order some cedar scented soaps

I was thinking that too