Reported temperatures for the extermination and control of 46 museum insect pests were tabulated and graphed. Temperature and time of exposure found in publications recommending thermal control methods for museum use were tabulated for comparison to the mortality data from the entomological literature. Miscellaneous control temperatures were also tabulated, providing information on chill-coma, feeding, and developmental limits. A lethal boundary model is proposed as a provisional guide to thermal extermination of insect pests.