Grain Stores – June 2020

It may seem early to think about protecting the coming harvest from pests in-store, but now is a good time to start cleaning stores in preparation for the harvest to come.

Weevil CSIRO CC BY 3.0 www.creativecommons.org licenses by 3.0

Bear in mind that no pests of grain come in from the field – they are all loitering in the store or on associated machinery, trailers, pits, ducts just waiting for grain to arrive. They keep themselves ticking over on spilled grain, which can be found in crevices, on ledges, in pits and ducts. Consequently, giving the store a thorough cleaning can reduce the risk of pests such as weevils, saw-tooth grain beetle, mites and psocids (book lice) being a problem. Don’t forget to treat associated machinery as well as the walls of stores. The use of bait bags to see what may be present in the store now is highly recommended, and if any pests are present insecticide treatments can be applied to the store to get rid of them.  Seek advice and guidance from your local agronomist or agricultural consultant about any suspicious insects or bait bags – they can arrange for them to be sent off for rapid identification of any insects present.