The only technique for eradication of insects in fine art currently used at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a low-oxygen, or anoxic, treatment, using argon gas. The reason for using argon rather than nitrogen, currently the most widely publicized gas in controlled-atmosphere treatments, is four-fold: Argon is totally inert; it gives faster “kill rates” than nitrogen (25-50% faster); argon will not encourage anaerobic microorganisms; and, being heavier than oxygen, it will preferentially sink to the bottom of an enclosure, thus displacing the oxygen and producing lower-oxygen environments over time where the art usually rests. More than 1000 fine art objects, including dozens of panel paintings and frames, have been treated with argon over the past five years, with no deleterious effects to the art. Outlined herein is a brief review of the suffocation procedure, including determination of length-of-treatment time based on detection of actual insect presence in art, using a prototype Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy respiration detection system.