How to deal with bow bugs—no, really!

Ever think about the fact that while you’re onstage dazzling the audience with your pyrotechnic string playing, a veritable creep show is playing out backstage inside your violin case?

Bow bugs are the bane of many musicians. From the Dermestidae family of beetles, their Greek name literally means “skin eater.” These little critters can get into your instrument case and wreak havoc by munching on bow hair and leaving loose, randomly broken strands in their wake. It is nearly impossible to see the bugs themselves. But as they mature, bow bugs shed their outer skins—much as a snake does—leaving telltale casings.

The good news is that most musicians who play regularly will never experience this problem. Bow bugs hate light and prefer to settle in dark places, such as cases that remain unopened for long periods of time. (So practice, practice, practice.)

If bow bugs do get inside your case, you can get rid of them by following a few simple steps. Former Strings editor Mary Van Clay has suggested that you remove the instrument and bow, then thoroughly vacuum the empty case, using a narrow nozzle to get into every nook and cranny. Leave the case open in indirect sunlight for a few days.

Strings reader Stephen Bacon of Bellwood Violin in Ashland, Oregon, also suggests putting ten to 15 drops of rosemary essential oil (a natural repellent) along the interior seams of the case. “But be careful not to put any oil in places where it could make direct contact with the wood of the instrument or bow.”

“I am pretty sure I’ve eliminated my bow-bug problem by thoroughly vacuuming the case and placing a cake of camphor, wrapped in a piece of cloth (just as rosin is wrapped), inside,” Mary Vennos of Phoenix, Maryland, told Strings. (You can find camphor cakes at drug stores and pharmacies for generally less than $3 per cake.)

In addition, if you’re going on a vacation without your instrument, store your bow outside of the case (in a safe spot, away from sunlight) where the hair can breathe. If you’ll be away from your instrument for an extended period, have the bow hair removed and leave the bow stick safely in your case until you’re ready to play again.

In most instances, these simple steps will fix the bow-bug problem. However, if you still find evidence of the pests, you may have a serious infestation on your hands. Unfortunately, the only real course of action is to rehair your bow and purchase a new case.

—HEATHER K. SCOTT