Get familiar with stored product pest’s basic biology

James Miller, ACE

After you identify a stored product pest (SPP) infestation, get familiar with the basic biology of the specific insect at hand.

For example, let’s say you identify an infestation of Indianmeal moths (Plodia interpunctella, or IMM) in rice in a warehouse. You have the client remove the contaminated product and clean under the racks. Problem solved, right? I mean, you did find the source.

But you also know that IMM larvae will wander — sometimes great distances — to enter their pupation cycle. Did those larvae relocate to an area not cleaned or treated? Once pupation is over, adults are going to emerge. It could take a few weeks, maybe even months. And once they emerge, they’re going to mate. Those newly mated females are going to look for any food product to deposit their precious fertilized eggs. Will another new bag of rice be chosen? This could be a bad look, if you overlook this key part of IMM biology.