Factors influencing the post-fumigation reinfestation of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in a rice warehouse

Abstract

A static flight trap was used to study the flight activity of Tribolium castaneum and the problems associated with reinfestation of milled rice by this pest after fumigation with methyl bromide. One of the causes of reinfestation was the surviving residual insect populations outside the gas enclosure during fumigation. Another factor was the storekeepers' lack of understanding of the diurnal rhythm of the insect pest and its peak flight activity in relation to the initiation of control against T. casteneum in the warehouse. The wrong timing of fumigation due to the lack of effective pest monitoring methods also contributed to the high level of infestation. © 1988.