Chemical control of stored product insects with fumigants and residual treatments

Integrated pest management (IPM) programs that eliminate infestations and prevent economic damage in raw commodities, food storage facilities, and milling and processing plants typically involve chemicals. They are preferred because they are often the cheapest and most efficient strategies available. When evaluating pesticides, it is important to recognize the biological and environmental factors that can affect pesticide efficacy so the insecticide can be effectively used in control programs. We illustrate these concepts with data from research studies with cyfluthrin, a pyrethroid insecticide used as a residual surface treatment, and with data from developmental research with new fumigants. These chemical pesticides and others like them could have specific applications and strategies in an IPM program for post harvest pests well into the 21st Century.