Use glue board as evidence to treat stored product pests

Dr. Stuart Mitchell, BCE, technical director, PestWest USA

What do you do with your insect-filled glue boards? Do you simply replace old with new and throw them away?

You will replace numerous glue boards over the lifespan of every ILT you install, either because the glue board is full or by routine. But unless you study your glue boards, you will never truly know what you’ve caught.

Because the majority of stored product pests (SPP) adults fly and are drawn to ultraviolet A (UVA) light, the ILTs and glue boards within your customers’ facilities are an early-warning system to prevent SPP infestations.

Glue boards provide evidence and tell a story. They provide species identification, which provides biology and behavior, which provides good decisions for pest control best practices — practices such as proper product rotation of last product in, first product out (LIFO) or first product in, first product out (FIFO); destruction of infested products; and cleaning spills within product storage areas.

Know what you’ve got after it’s caught. Don’t throw your glue boards away, read what they have to say. After all, life is like a glue board — you never know what you’re going to get.