Mass trapping of <i>Ephestia kuehniella</i> Zeller in a traditional flour mill

Autor/innen

  • P. Trematerra Department of Animal, Plant and Environmental Science, University of Molise, Via De Sanctis, 86100 Campobasso, Italy. E-mail: trema@unimol.it
  • P. Gentile Department of Animal, Plant and Environmental Science, University of Molise, Via De Sanctis, 86100 Campobasso, Italy

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5073/jka.2010.425.107

Abstract

Results obtained by mass trapping method, using the synthetic pheromone (Z,E)-9,12-tetradecadienyl acetate (TDA), to control the population of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller in a large traditional flour mill are reported. The surveys were carried out over a period of five years. Forty-two funnel traps, each baited with 2 mg of TDA, were placed in the mill on March 2004 and kept until November 2008. Eight additional traps were located around the exterior of the facility, especially in the wheat silo area and near loading equipment. In almost five years, the pheromone traps attracted a total of 54,170 male E. kuehniella. Considering only the catch data obtained from the traps located in the internal departments of the mill, 28,360 specimens were captured. Outside the plant, 1,975 males were trapped. From the trap counts obtained it was possible to identify the locations of the main foci of infestation. With regard to the pest control attained by mass trapping techniques, trap catches of E. kuehniella inside the mill revealed a conspicuous decrease in the population density (of about 92.2%) comparing the data obtained in 2008 with that from 2004. The population density of the pest outside the mill also decreased from the first until the last year of the surveys. The infestation was maintained at a low level, especially during the last two years of the study, when the Integrated Pest Management program applied in the plant did not include general fumigations but only localized insecticide treatments and careful cleaning of the various departments (wheat storage bins, processing and packaging areas, milling products warehouses and the loading zone) and the interior of all equipment.

Keywords: Mediterranean flour moth, Mass trapping, IPM, Flour mill, Italy.

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Veröffentlicht

2010-09-02