Plan for detection and treatment of stored product pests

Casey Prewitt, Sales Manager, Professional Pest Management, Neogen

Many pest management professionals (PMP) consider stored product pests to be an easy situation that can be solved by locating and removing the infested product, then shooting some aerosol in a few areas around the site to take care of remaining life stages. But sometimes, it’s not so simple.

In many residential and restaurant accounts, food sources tend to be used quickly, avoiding and eliminating the potential for a problem to occur. However, in large food production accounts, product volume means these pests can cause challenges for even the most veteran PMP. They also can cost the facility thousands of dollars in physical damage, lost production time and brand reputation.

To combat this, have a solid IPM plan in place for early detection and successful treatment. Your plan should include:

• Inspect ingredients coming into the facility, including the shipping containers.
• Use monitoring devices such as insect light traps (ILTs) and pheromone traps.
• Perhaps most importantly, schedule regular, appropriate use of IGRs within the facility. IGRs do not kill insects directly, but they provide protection against insect populations that might be overlooked in low-level infestations. They can be a critical piece of a successful program in large food-production accounts and other areas prone to SPP infestations.