Destructive bug infestation threatens historic 1,000-year-old book collection

Thousands of historic books are in jeopardy over a massive bug infestation that could annihilate centuries-long of historical records.

The Pannonhalma Archabbey in Hungary is a Benedictine monastery that is working to save books from drugstore beetles, according to The Associated Press (AP).

About 100,000 handbound books are being removed by restoration workers to start a disinfection process that would kill any bugs that have nested in the pages.

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The beetles were found in a section of the UNESCO World Heritage Site that houses 400,000 volumes – which makes up a quarter of the books in the library. 

Zsófia Edit Hajdu, the chief restorer on the project, told AP they've never seen such an infestation before.

"This is an advanced insect infestation, which has been detected in several parts of the library, so the entire collection is classified as infected and must be treated all at the same time," said Hajdu.

Drugstore beetles are also called cigarette beetles. 

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They commonly infest tobacco products, according to Oklahoma State University extension (OSU).

Adult beetles are yellowish to reddish brown with oval-shaped shapes stretching about 1/10 inch long — and can infest leather. 

"They have been known to damage the leaves and bindings of books when feeding on the paste," says OSU’s website. 

The Pannonhalma Archabbey was founded four years before the establishment of the Kingdom of Hungary in 996, according to AP.

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It is home to the oldest and most important collection of books in the country, including a complete Bible from the 13th century.

Ilona Ásványi, director of the Pannonhalma Archabbey library, told AP that whenever she enters the building she is "humbled."

"When I see a book chewed up by a beetle or infected in any other way, I feel that no matter how many copies are published and how replaceable the book is, a piece of culture has been lost," said Ásványi.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.