Cereal growers who have yet to clean their grain stores
should do so in the next few days to ensure produce remains free
from pests.
Some experts reckon infestations of grain weevils, saw toothed
grain beetles and mites rose sharply last year, putting new grain
at a bigger risk than usual.
Grain store pest infestations increased by 45% last year due to
the poor harvest and the abundance of wet grain going into store,
says Mark Turnbull, managing director of
Instore
Solutions.
"Last year dryers were at full capacity and once grain was dry,
growers struggled to cool it down quickly enough to stop pests
moving in," he says.
"There were also large quantities of wet grain waiting to get to
the dryers, which warmed up and attracted pests," he adds.
Jim Farquharson, managing director for
B&W
Grain Store Services also saw more pests and warns that hygiene
is even more critical for affected stores, as insects will survive
while they are empty.
"First the store should be thoroughly cleaned using a high
pressure airline," he advises.
"Pressure washers can be used, but water and electricity
supplies don't mix and stores can be incredibly difficult to dry
out afterwards.
"Once the store is clean we apply
K-Obiol liquid with hand lances and then fog the building with
Pybuthrin to dislodge any stubborn pests."
Igrox's Peter Woolley,
said pest infestations were not as bad as feared last autumn,
perhaps helped by thorough grain store cleaning and
preparation.
"Farmers should be cleaning out their grain stores as soon as
possible; if pests are found insecticide will need to be applied
and this takes 3-4 weeks to work effectively.
"As insects lodge in the smallest gaps and crevices, they need
to be given time to venture out and come into contact with the
insecticide. If the store is filled immediately, the likelihood of
this interaction decreases and any remaining insects will readily
infest the new crop," says Mr Woolley.
"In the past I have seen grain tipped in sheds as soon as the
insecticide is dry, which although safe to do, doesn't allow enough
time for the chemical to do it's job," he adds.