What eats the hair on your violin bow? Could be arc bugs

We’ve all heard of “Bed Bugs”. But did you know that there are also “Bow Bugs”? In fact, there are small arthropods (related to moths) that live inside the violin case and chew on horse hair. How do you know your case is infested? There are certain tell-tale signs. One is an accelerated rate of horsehair breakage on your bow(s). Another is the appearance of broken spider-like loop hairs inside the box. You can even see crawling or dead insects, or discover the exoskeletons they leave behind when they moult.

These insects like to live in the dark. They are more likely to live in cases that are left closed for long periods of time. Because they abhor light, they are rarely found in boxes that are frequently opened. Fortunately, they do not like to eat violins and, in addition to destroying the horse’s mane, they are harmless. However, once they have established residence, they are difficult to remove and can transfer from case to case.

How to get rid of them? It’s usually a good idea to buy a new case and re-style any affected bows. However, if this is not an option, another alternative is to expose the casing and arches to sunlight for a period of several days, which should kill the insects. You may also choose to spray the case with moth insecticide. However, you should store the violin in a safe place until the chemical dries, to avoid damaging it.

To deal with “Arch Bugs”, prevention is the best cure. Try not to allow your case to sit unopened or stored for long periods of time; violinists who practice regularly rarely experience this problem.