The Canadian Grain Commission has developed a new web-based tool to help farmers identify pests in stored grain.
It’s available at www.grainscanada.gc.ca and allows producers to use insect keys to determine the species of an insect found in stored grain.
To identify an insect, producers choose the more accurate of two options that describe an insect’s physical characteristics.
After each choice, another two options are presented.
This process continues until the species is correctly identified.
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“Our insect keys are an effective, easy-to-use tool for insect identification,” said Brent Elliott with CGC’s Infestation Control and Sanitation Office.
“Once you know the insect you’re dealing with, you can make the appropriate decisions for management.”
More than 50 species of insects are recognized in Canada as pests of stored grain.
Insect infestations can be controlled by physical methods or chemical treatments.
Physical methods include drying grain or exposing it to cold air.
Maintaining grain storage temperatures at below -5 C for 12 weeks is an effective way to control most insects at various stages of the life cycle.
More information on controlling insects, including approved chemical treatments, can be viewed at the Canadian Grain Commission’s website.
