katemorrisviolin
Jan 31 2012, 05:08 PM
I posted off my bow in a new piece of plastic piping bought specially from B&Q to be re-haired by a very reputable violin establishment and it arrived back freshly re-haired but with five of the hairs hanging down, each one snapped in a different place along the hair. When I rang them up the lovely lady was horrified and embarrassed, and insisted on re-doing it at no extra expense to myself.
When they'd got my bow again, the chap who does the re-hairing rang me to say the culpret was probably carpet beetles, and advised me to google about it for advice on getting rid.
Well I have several rubbish old bows all kept in the same room where I do all my playing, and none of them has ever had a single snapped hair, including the spare that's kept in the same case as my good bow, and I can't find any evidence in my case or carpet. My good bow has never had a snapped hair before it was sent off. However my case is probably nearly as old as my 130 year old violin, and is very dusty, maybe I should clean it out just in case. (Just in case! ho ho! )
Any thoughts, comments, advice or experience anyone?
miffy
Jan 31 2012, 05:58 PM
There is some sort of mite that eats bow hairs. I saw one once with nearly all nibbled straight across!
They may well have come from the shop if your other ones have been ok,(not that you'll ever prove that of course!), however, now you've had it in the house it would be worth taking the precautions he advised.
owainsutton
Jan 31 2012, 07:15 PM
QUOTE(miffy @ Jan 31 2012, 05:58 PM)

There is some sort of mite that eats bow hairs.
They're called hair mites, funnily enough!
miffy
Jan 31 2012, 07:37 PM
QUOTE(owainsutton @ Jan 31 2012, 07:15 PM)

QUOTE(miffy @ Jan 31 2012, 05:58 PM)

There is some sort of mite that eats bow hairs.
They're called hair mites, funnily enough!

Ahaha!
Well I thought if I called them hair mites some clever clogs would correct me with some long Latin name...
I didn't believe it when I first saw it, looked like someone had just clipped across the bow with a pair of nail scissors!
owainsutton
Jan 31 2012, 08:05 PM
QUOTE(miffy @ Jan 31 2012, 07:37 PM)

Well I thought if I called them hair mites some clever clogs would correct me with some long Latin name...
How about some
revolting pictures?
miffy
Jan 31 2012, 08:13 PM
QUOTE(owainsutton @ Jan 31 2012, 08:05 PM)

QUOTE(miffy @ Jan 31 2012, 07:37 PM)

Well I thought if I called them hair mites some clever clogs would correct me with some long Latin name...
How about some
revolting pictures? 
Yuk!
I like
This one better
all ears
Jan 31 2012, 09:28 PM
Yes, it happened once with a bow of ours, also newly rehaired. I concluded that rosin was perhaps offputting to whatever wanted to eat the hair. Not sure whether the bugs came from the shop or the lining of the very ancient violin case, or some other source, but putting camphor sachets (or something similar designed to repel moths) solved the problem.
fiddlesticks
Feb 1 2012, 08:39 PM
These 'hair mites' are actually the larvae of carpet beetle. It can be be a problem if they infest the case, they will start to munch on the hair of any bows you put in there.
Seems they like the dark, so are less likely to feast on bows which are kept in the light (not very practical I know).
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