Call Pest Free Pest Control on 1800 15 30 10 if you have a problem with Store Products Pests
The control of stored product pests requires a high degree of professionalism & knowledge. Pest management programs must utilize combinations of techniques that are effective and which emphasize prevention of food product contamination. These programs must be directed at immediate pest problems; at preventing future infestation problems; and must respond to routine daily needs, yet be flexible to meet emergency pest control situations.
PESTFREE Pest Control is HACCP accredited. Our clients receive the highest standard of integrated pest management coupled with excellence in food safety. Unsatisfactory control of pests results in contaminated products that can cause health, financial, legal and aesthetic problems. Financial losses can result from (a) presence of live or dead insects in products and containers; (b) presence of odors, webbing and frass in products and containers; (c) loss in faith in the company by the consumer because of these conditions; and (d) direct loss in weight resulting from insect feeding.
Insects are important pests of cereal grains and stored food. Under optimum conditions many of the species can complete their life cycles in less than 30 to 35 days and lay many eggs. This results in rapid build-up of populations that consume and contaminate various stored products. Most stored product insects are either beetles or moths. Both have complete metamorphosis, i.e., they have four distinct developmental stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. The larval stage is “worm-like” or “grub-like” and differs in appearance from the adults. Often, people do not associate the “worms” with the adults which produce them. Growth occurs in the larval stage and after transformation to the adult there is no further growth in size. Beetles are characterized by rather hard, shell-like bodies with the forewings modified into covers (elytra) which overlay the back of the insect and protect the thin membranous flight wings (if present) folded underneath. The adults of most of the stored-product beetles live and feed in the same food materials as the larvae. Both have chewing mouthparts.
Moths that infest cereal grains and stored products have scales covering the wings and bodies. The larvae are caterpillars which do not resemble the adults—they have chewing mouthparts while adults may have coiled siphoning tubes suitable only for liquid food. Since liquids are usually not available to them, adults normally do not feed. Therefore, the moths usually only live long enough to mate and lay eggs.