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STORED PRODUCT PESTS
Control of Stored Product Pests will vary with
the type of facility, the type of pest, and the
type of food supporting the infestation. A thorough
inspection must be completed to locate the source
of the infestation. There are both chemical and
non-chemical treatments that can be used as a means
of control.
Flour Beetle and other Stored Product Pest infestations
usually start when infested products are brought
into the home. Even the cleanest, insect-free product
can become infested before the consumer receives
it. Although one of the reasons for packaging is
to keep the product clean and free from insects,
packages vary in their vulnerability to insect infestation.
Insects find some packaging easy to penetrate, while
other types pose more of a challenge. Reports show
that newly hatched larvae of moths and beetles can
penetrate crevices 0.12 mm in width. Insects can
also reach the food through small openings left
in the sealing process, and by gnawing through paper
wrappings. However, there can be no doubt good packaging
materials with smooth surfaces having a minimum
of folds, creases, seams, rough edges, and are sufficiently
thick walled, offer some mechanical resistance and
protection against insect infestation.
INSPECTING FOR THE SOURCE - Control will never
be achieved until all infested material is removed.
Although infested foods, such as flour or corn meal;
and other materials can be baked at low temperatures
or frozen to kill the insects, it is simpler and
better to discard such products.
All bags of pet food should be opened and the inside
edges of the bags should be examined with a flashlight.
A portion of the contents should then be poured
onto a piece of white paper. If no insects are seen,
the product can be returned to its container. Spices
should then be checked both as they are opened and
as they are poured onto a piece of paper. Corn meal
and flour should be checked next and this should
be followed by any type of cake mix or other types
of mix. Rice, dried beans, cereals, and pasta are
other possible sources of infestation.
In addition to the kitchen and the pantry, the
closets should be checked for old bags of nuts,
ornamental corn, or various grain products. If the
garage is ever used for storage of the above items,
it must also be inspected. Also, consider items
such as wallpaper paste since it is often cereal
based. Packaged rodenticides can be a source of
infestation, particularly if they were tossed into
a remote part of the attic or garage. In addition,
bird nests can harbor dermestid beetles or spider
beetles and should be removed.
CONTROL - After all infested products are removed
and discarded, shelves should be treated with a
residual pesticide labeled for this use. If the
insect was identified as one that could fly or if
the infestation was widespread, space sprays may
help control the scattered infestations. If shelf
paper has been used, it should be discarded since
insects or their eggs could be hidden under the
paper.
PREVENTION - Future infestation in homes can sometimes
be prevented when the source of the previous infestations
is known. For instance, if cornmeal and flour are
the infested products, these can be kept in the
refrigerator. If pet foods are the problem, they
can be kept in a tight metal garbage can outside
or at least in the garage. Spices packed in glass
bottles are less likely to be infested than those
in cardboard or plastic packages. Extreme heat or
cold can either kill or suppress development of
stored product insects. If possible, keep highly
susceptible materials under refrigeration until
needed, especially in warmer climates. Temperatures
in the deep freeze section of the freezer can actually
kill insects if the cold penetrates to all areas
inside the package. Four days in the deep freezer
will kill most stored product pests.
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