Tech test: Scrutinize your stored product pest knowledge

Edited by Mark VanderWerp, BCE, Manager of Education and Training, Rose Pest Solutions, Madison Heights, Mich.

Sneaking into packages

Stored product pests (SPP) are most likely to infest products that have been opened, but they also can get into unopened packages constructed of paper and thin cardboard, or wrapped in plastic, foil or cellophane. SPP may chew their way into packages or crawl in through folds and seams. All insect stages — egg, larva, pupa and adult — may be present in infested products at the same time. Food can become infested during production, distribution, in the grocery store or in the home. Products that have been left in storage for a long time are prone to infestation, although foods of any age may become infested. Source: University of Minnesota Extension

Answers to August Tech Test

1. b, 2. d, 3. False, 4. d, 5. True, 6. d, 7. a, 8. True, 9. d, 10. b