Stored Product Pests
Ants
Cockroaches
Control Methods
Guidelines
Product Pests
Rats & Mice
Risk Management
Spiders
Termites
Training
Weed Management
CATEGORIES AND COMMON TYPES OF STORED PRODUCT PESTS
Stored product insects (SPI) are significant pests as they spend the majority of their time, including breeding, hidden in their chosen food type. Inspection and early detection can therefore prove difficult. The group known as SPI in this context include mites. Commodities attacked include cereals, nuts, dried fruit and pulses.
SPI fall into two main categories according to their ability to infest product:
Primary: those having the ability to penetrate whole grains. These are further sub-divided into:
- Internal: those species whose life cycle is completed within the grain or bean the hole left by the exiting adult is characteristic
- External: those whose life cycle is completed outside the grain
Secondary: tend to feed on the fungus present in poorly stored or damaged product
PREVENTIVE MEASURES
Due to their close relationship with the product, an infestation of stored product insects can often remain undetected in the initial stages. In order to prevent spread of SPI the following steps should be taken: