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Rare and historic artefacts at Whakatane Museum and Gallery are in danger of being destroyed by a borer infestation.
The irreplaceable items, including colonial furniture, rare photographs and Maori taonga (treasures) have been attacked by the tiny insects, prompting museum staff and supporters to scramble to save them.
The museum has bought a large freezer to store some of the artefacts to protect them from damage.
However, it is too late for at least one item - a rare Bolivian sack or bag - which had been eaten to threads by the voracious creatures.
"If we left them untreated they would disintegrate, basically," museum programme and education co-ordinator Karl Chitham said.
"There are a lot of objects that have been infected, probably before they arrived here at the museum.
"As the years have gone by, the borer have moved from one item to another. It's mostly furniture, some photographs and the odd taonga that have come in with the borer inside.
"They have really taken hold and the situation has just got worse and worse."
Mr Chitham said the extent of the infestation was discovered only when collections manager Sally August, who had recently arrived from Auckland museum, examined the exhibits
She and museum manager Fiona Hall had started a programme of identifying damage to the collection from insects, mould and other sources.
A local firm had sold the museum one of their largest refrigeration units at well below cost, Mr Chitham said.
Friends of the Museum and Archives Trust Board chairwoman Linda Hudson said the problem had to be urgently addressed, before the artefacts were lost forever.
The board had "placed this at the top of their priority list for action".
- NZPA
