Sex Pheromone-Baited Traps as Monitors of Insect Infestation Levels in Stored-Products

As food and fiber pass through harvesting and processing steps, they become increasingly valuable. Products are freed from debris, dead and living insects, and damaged material. Often grading, milling and blending are required before the products are packaged for delivery to wholesale and/or retail markets. During processing and marketing, commodities are usually transported several times. Each step involves expenditures of time and energy, and each processing and transporting event offers significant opportunities for insect infestation or reinfestation. Therefore, detection of low level insect infestations in marketing and transporting channels is of major importance so the proper treatment procedures can be instituted before an infestation grows and is spread far beyond its original boundaries. Also, failure to detect an incipient infestation and take corrective action may lead to the condemnation of an entire batch or shipment.