Has it been a while since you’ve played your viola? If you open your viola case and notice that many of your viola bow hairs are falling off and look like they have been cut, you might have bow bugs. Find out more about bow bugs below.

1. Bow bugs, also known as bow mites or museum beetles, come from the dermestidae family of beetles. They thrive in dark, dry places such as closed viola cases, and feed on substances such as bow hair.
2. If you think you have bow bugs, remove your viola and bow from the viola case, thoroughly vacuum the case (especially the cracks and crevices), and leave the case open in indirect sunlight for a few days (leave your viola and bow out of the case during this process). Some individuals have found it helpful to put a few drops of cedar, rosemary or camphor in a compartment of their case after cleaning it, but this a matter of personal preference (the smell bothers some people). If you try this, make sure the oil has dried before putting your viola and bow back in the case.
3. If your bow hairs are heavily damaged, you should have your bow rehaired, and if your case seems heavily infested, even after you've thoroughly cleaned it, you may need to buy a new viola case.
4. The easiest way to avoid bow bugs, is to play your viola often. If you know you won’t be playing your viola for an extended period of time, another simple way to avoid bow bugs is to periodically open your viola case and expose your viola bow and case to indirect sunlight for brief periods of time (never leave your viola in direct sunlight. Extreme heat could melt your viola varnish and damage your instrument).