Persistence of stored-product insects in hidden refugia and their subsequent movement into stored commodities resulting in product infestation contributes to their pest status and represents a potential target for biological control agents. Entomopathogenic nematodes have not been previously tested against stored-product insects in environments such as empty grain bins or food processing and wa...

Parasitism can influence many aspects of the host’s behaviour and physiology, which in turn can have a profound impact on their population and evolutionary ecology. In many host parasite interactions there is often a time lag between infection and the death of the host, yet little is known, experimentally or theoretically, about the effects that intra-class competition between parasitised and u...

Two Indian spices, Trachyspermum ammi and Myristica fragrans, were studied for their essential oil (EO) yielding pattern, insecticidal activity, antibacterial activity, and composition. The essential oils (EOs) of T. ammi (1.94 ± 30 mL/100 gm) and M. fragrans (5.93 ± 90 mL/100 gm) were extracted using hydrodistillation method. In Gas Chromatography analysis, the beta-pinene, alpha-pinene, alpha...

Spinosad is a commercial reduced-risk pesticide that is naturally derived. Spinosad's performance was evaluated on four classes of wheat (hard red winter, hard red spring, soft red winter, and durum wheats) against adults of the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F.); rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.); sawtoothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.); red flour beetle, Tribolium...

This study was conducted to determine the insecticidal activity of essential oils from oregano, Origanum onites L. (Lamiales: Lamiaceae), savory, Satureja thymbra L. (Lamiales: Lamiaceae), and myrtle, Myrtus communis L. (Rosales: Myrtaceae) against three stored-product insects. Essential oils from three species of plants were obtained by Clevenger-type water distillation. The major compounds in...

Codling moth (Cydia pomonella [L.]), navel orangeworm (Amyelois transitella [Walker]), and Indianmeal moth (Plodia interpunctella [Hübner]) are common insect pests in walnuts (Juglans regia [L.]). Currently, exported in-shell walnuts are disinfested using methyl bromide fumigation. Restrictions on methyl bromide use have increased interest in developing alternative postharvest treatments. Radio...

Ionizing irradiation is used as a phytosanitary treatment against quarantine pests. A generic treatment of 400 Gy has been approved for commodities entering the United States against all insects except pupae and adults of Lepidoptera because some literature citations indicate that a few insects, namely, the Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), and the...

Industry concerns over insect resistance, regulatory action, and the needs of organic processors have renewed interest in nonchemical alternative postharvest treatments to fumigants used for California tree nuts. The development of inexpensive polyvinyl chloride containers capable of holding low pressures has increased the practicality of vacuum treatments for durable commodities such as tree n...

Economic evaluations of integrated pest management strategies are becoming increasingly important as restrictions on conventional insecticides continue to become more stringent and chemical control costs rise. Aerosol treatments with insect growth regulators alone and in combination with conventional contact insecticides may be a feasible alternative to expensive and highly toxic fumigants such...

Distribution and movement patterns of several species of stored-product pests in a food processing plant were investigated. The objectives of this study were to determine the temporal and spatial variation in abundance of stored-product pests using pheromone traps; assess the effectiveness of trap type, location, and number on monitoring insect populations; and to evaluate the nature of pheromo...