No audio available for this content.
It is often incorrectly assumed that stored product pests (SPP) are only those insects that might get into the dried food goods in your pantry. In reality, the term “stored product pest” refers to insects that infest both food and non-food materials made from plant or animal origin.
When you think about it, that list of materials comprises a whole lot of things. The reason SPP are important is because we humans like to store a whole lot of things — from dried seeds, grains, spices, cereals and pasta to wools, feathers, furs, hair and hide, from wooden furniture to picture frames, and much more. Humans love to store things we find valuable, and this group of pests loves to eat what we store.
SPP don’t care whether their food sources are in a food plant, a distribution warehouse, or a residence. If you store it, they will eat it. This confirms to us that Indianmeal moths, flour beetles, grain beetles and weevils are, of course, SPP, but so are carpet beetles, clothes moths and powderpost beetles, along with a long list of other insects that eat these materials.
So, as you read through this month’s Tips and Tricks section, know that these suggestions will not only help your customers in their homes and workplaces, but also will help protect those items that you find valuable enough to stash away in your kitchen or other living areas in your own home.
