The business of Thomas Parker's company, Pest Control Services Inc., is "entomological consulting," but Parker, AG '65, is as much a detective and teacher as he is an entomologist.

Since 1972, Parker has devoted most of his career to the protection of museum collections, artifacts, works of art, historic structures and libraries from attack by insects, molds and other pests. And, he doesn't do it by spraying chemicals.

"I don't believe in pesticides because they don't work," he says. "They're a short-term fix. Only when you've determined why the infestation is there can you address getting rid of the pests permanently. We do this through collection management."

That's where his detective skills come in. When Parker is called to the scene of a pest crime, he starts by asking questions--lots of questions. How is the collection stored and displayed? Are private collections invited in for short-term exhibitions? Are exhibits loaned to schools or other institutions? Are there special days each year when the public can have heirlooms appraised? Do craftspeople such as weavers give demonstrations? Any of these practices, he notes, could result in "uninvited guests" being introduced into the facility.

Combined with a visual inspection for telltale piles of sawdust, crumbling paper, damaged feathers and fabrics or balding taxidermy exhibits, Parker's questions tell a story that enables him to not only get the criminals "off the streets" but also prevent a new generation from repeating the act.

"If we just sprayed chemicals to get rid of these pests, it would be like spraying your pantry for ants without also repackaging the pet food or cereal they're feasting on and without figuring out how they got into your house in the first place," Parker says.

Spraying also poses a threat to museum-quality pieces and to the people who visit the places where they're displayed. Parker prefers to "get inside the head of the critter, understand what it can do, what its ideal living conditions are and then figure out how collections can be stored to keep the critters from getting in."

Sometimes, he has to get inside the head of another pest in addition to the obvious culprit. In one case, for example, he learned that pigeons were part of the chain leading to the destruction of a collection of 15th-century manuscripts. Pigeon droppings, which contained undigested grain, were attracting the larvae of cigarette beetles. When the beetles were finished eating outside, they moved inside and started to work on valuable historical documents.

"If we hadn't gotten rid of the pigeons, the problem would have just recurred, no matter what we did inside the library," Parker says.

What he does inside a library or museum is a combination of basic housekeeping strategies and environmental control. Vacuuming--not only the public spaces but also attics, closets, air-conditioning units and other dead spaces--is essential. Freezing the collection to kill the pests is another part of Parker's strategy. Finally, the temperature and humidity in the building can be regulated to make the environment less hospitable to bugs. "Our goal is to convince the pests they're better off somewhere else," he says.

Parker doesn't stop with getting an infestation under control. He also works to educate museum or library staff on how to prevent further infestation and how to find evidence of further trouble.

Parker is thought to be the first entomologist to form a business devoted to technical consultation and training for the pest control industry. He conducts workshops by invitation for professionals in the library and museum community and others involved in the prevention and control of pests. He also has testified as an expert witness in more than 400 litigation matters.

After receiving his bachelor's degree in entomology and plant pathology at UD, Parker earned his Ph.D. in entomology at Purdue University. He was a U.S. Army medical entomologist in Vietnam, in charge of a program to control malaria-bearing mosquitoes by spraying pesticides in the jungles. The failure of that effort set the stage for his holistic approach to pest management when he started his own business.

Now, almost three decades later, Parker is a nationally recognized expert in the field, having worked with most of the nation's top museums and libraries, including the Smithsonian Institution, the Winterthur Museum in Wilmington, Del., the Newberry Library in Chicago, the Rockefeller Foundation in New York, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the National Park Service, which is charged with preserving items ranging from Indian artifacts to White House carpets.

Parker emphasizes that the same strategies he applies to protecting history-filled buildings can be used at home. "Vacuum, then vacuum some more, making sure you get into the crevices and corners," he says. Many pests go for such protein-containing material as fur, hair, feathers and wool.

Prevention is the name of Parker's game--whether it's in a private home or a public museum.

Entomologist? Detective? Educator? Parker's on-line user name sums him up simply, "bugman."

--Diane Kukich, AS '73, '84M