World Grain - August 2017 - 78

FEATURE: EMPHASIZING SUSTAINABLE PEST MANAGEMENT

An important part of any Integrated Pest Management program is to thoroughly inspect your facility for signs of pests. Photo courtesy of Orkin.

chew marks left by rodents or small
holes in grain or packaging material that
indicate insects are present. Especially
with whole grains, you may see the
"dust" left behind by insect feeding.
Discarded wings - A close inspection
might reveal a collection of wings, especially around windows and doorways
during the spring and summer. This is a
sign of a potential ant infestation, as it
means that swarmers have matured and
are looking to move to a new location to
create a colony.

recording the pests you capture, it's also
important to look at the data over time
DQG¿QGWKHFKDQJHVLQVSHFLHVDQGSRSulations. For example, if you notice an
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you can turn that grain and physically
eliminate a high number of insects before they spread to neighboring bins. If
you notice an increase in rodents feeding on bait, you can escalate trapping
and baiting efforts to combat them.
An ounce of prevention is worth a
pound of cure. Getting rid of a wideVSUHDG LQIHVWDWLRQ LV PRUH GLI¿FXOW DQG
OTHER PEST ISSUES
costly than quickly responding to a
Try to think like a pest for a minute. small population in an isolated area. By
Are there sanitation issues that could maintaining IPM practices on a regular
be inviting to pests? Are there gaps basis, pest issues can be kept small, conaround doorways that a pest might use tained and easier to manage.
to come into the structure? Are there
The best strategy is to proactively
cracks and crevices that can be sealed to prevent pests before they get into your
prevent habitat and food buildup? Any facility. With careful planning, accuLVVXHV\RXFDQ¿QGDUHZRUWKUHVROYLQJ rate information, and a strong partnerproactively.
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Monitoring devices are another great decrease the pest pressure your facility
tool to use as part of an IPM program. faces. Treatments can then be used in
There are many different types of de- a targeted manner to reduce the risk of
vices that can be used for both insects infestation and help protect your botand rodents. In addition to counting and tom line.
78

IPM PROGRAM TACTICS
The strongest IPM programs incorporate these tactics:
1) Inspection
A thorough inspection of the facility
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facility is different and has different issues. Inspections will highlight problem
areas, pest hot spots and high risk areas
that could be prone to future pest issues.
Look for sanitation issues, exclusion
points, and the pests themselves. After
the initial inspection, regular inspections should be a part of your IPM plan,
because hot spots can change over time.
,GHQWL¿FDWLRQ
3HVWLGHQWL¿FDWLRQLVNH\WRGHWHUPLQing where the pest is coming from, what
it might be feeding on, and what conditions may be attracting it. For example,
if you know you have weevils, you
know that weevils only feed on whole
grains. You don't have to look at any
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you can go immediately to the whole
corn, wheat or other whole grain in storage. You can save time and energy by
focusing on the most likely spots instead
of having to inspect the entire facility.
August 2017 / World Grain / www.World-Grain.com

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World Grain - August 2017

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