I highly recommend...

[Norm Frechette]

...a periodic inspection of your fly tying feathers for BUGS!

I recently went to use a whiting farms red hen cape and found it was infested with larvae of some kind. They were about 1/4 inch long and wiggling

After inspecting all of my whiting farms hen capes, 4 of them were infected with bugs.

Bugs were even crawling in the bottom of the storage bin i keep them in

Seal up the zip lock bag and do not leave them unsealed

40+ years of tying and never had bugs until now

Expensive morning

[Hellmtflies]

Thanx Norm. Zip Lock rules in the fly-tying room.

[Norm Frechette]

Thanx Norm. Zip Lock rules in the fly-tying room.

as long as they are sealed

[bassman]

Good ice fishing bait.

[bluesjay]

Hi Guys, Question... Have you ever seen moth balls? If so, how did you get their little legs apart?

Jay Edwards

[Bucktrout]

I always try to keep the bags sealed. In addition, I bought some cedar boxes in a gift shop that are the perfect size for capes. Won’t swear that the cedar will keep all bugs away but haven’t had any issues so far

Eric

[Caneghost]

Paradichlorobenzene, formerly available as Para Moth Crystals; that is what you need in those bins. Regular moth balls won't kill 'em. I have not seen the crystals in a long time, but there are cakes of the stuff in little plastic hangers to hang in your clothes closet.

[adkfan]

Sealed bags and cloves sprinkled in

[Norm Frechette]

Sealed bags and cloves sprinkled in

bingo!

thats exactly what i did

[maruoff]

Had it too after 30 years of tying.
Sealing with zip locks doesnt even help with some bugs. They manage to bite through the plastic. At least the ones I had.
In any case I am ordering moth crystals from China now through ebay (not available here in Europe anymore) and use RAID bug spray from time to time. Sealing in plastic containers also helps.

In any case its a bl.... nuisance :-( and disgusting at that.

[Norm Frechette]

They manage to bite through the plastic.

yup! 2 of the zip lock bags were eaten through by the bugs

[GMflyf1sh]

I heavily use while cloves - sealed in bags, sealed in boxes from steriitre.

Gregg

[Norm Frechette]

i recently added packets of cedar scented moth balls to all of my streilite plastic shoe boxes for my natural tying materials in addition to whole cloves in all of my hackle bags

[DrLogik]

+ for Para-D (Paradichlorobenzene). Years ago (1979) I lost everything when we moved south. I didn't look at my materials for over two years then, ugh. I've been using Para-D ever since and no lost materials.

By the way, when I was in the Catskills years ago I stopped by to see Mary Dette and asked her what they use. Paradichlorobenzene.

I put them in tin tea infusers and then place one in each plastic bin.

[Franknrod]

Also - check the zip lock bag.

I discovered an infestation inside a zip lock hackle neck bag. The fly shop (long since closed) had punched a hole to hang it on a display hook. The hole was BELOW the ziplock seal allowing the insects to enter!!!! I washed and blow dried all my hackle necks, put them in the freezer for a week, washed and blow dried them again, then froze for another week. I purchased all new zip lock bags and rebagged each neck.

Definitely a "belt and suspenders" type response, but this ended the problem with no reoccurrence.

[thehersh]

I get feathers from my bird hunting family and friends and always give them a deep freeze for a few weeks,only had bugs in one low priced neck that was well sealed so the infestation did not spread.I had just bought some higher quality feathers and was nervous.

[bearbutt]

While the moth balls are good for killing things, they stink--and are not good for you either.

Layers of protection help--ziplocks then small plastic tubs then big plastic tubs--which helps localize any outbreaks.

In some ziplocks and small tubs I use cut strips of Seresto flea collars. In the large tubs go No-pest strips--. The Seresto pieces are also used inside the boxes that hold valuable historical flies.

They all need replacing on a regular basis. The Serestos are expensive. But there is no stink--and they are effective.

(New materials get the freezer treatment 3 times then go into a quarantine tub before getting added to the stash.)

bb

[hatch]

Lets not forget cats. The sealed plastic tubs are a must. Cats, who are interested in everything bird related, will chew through zip lock bags.

[daverson828]

So you're saying storing them jumbled together loose in the bottom of an old Plano tackle box isn't a good idea? But seriously, glad I read this -- gonna get me some bags today!

[Flykuni3]

I use bags and big tuppers (thrift shop finds for cheap). Long rectangular one for necks, smaller for soft hackles and hair patches. Taller one for hare's feet, So far so good.