FUMIGATION FOR STORED PRODUCTS AND GRAINS
Fumigation plays a crucial role in eliminating insect pests from stored products. Phosphine (from metal phosphide formulations, cylinderized products, and on-site generators) and methyl bromide (available in cylinders and metal cans) are the two most commonly used fumigants worldwide for stored-product protection.
Fumigants are designed to penetrate cracks, crevices, and other areas where pests may be hiding. However, there are concerns regarding the chemical residues they leave behind, which can affect the quality of grains, germination, and seedling viability. The term "fumigant" comes from the word fumus, meaning smoke, as these chemicals, when subjected to specific temperatures and pressures, can exist in a gaseous state in concentrations high enough to kill targeted pests.
Phosphine offers notable advantages over methyl bromide (MB) for stored products and is generally preferred. In bulk storage systems, ethylene oxide is often used as a substitute for carbon disulfide when fumigating grain and seeds. Ethylene oxide is a colorless, odorless liquid at low temperatures but vaporizes quickly at higher temperatures.
Fumigants are designed to penetrate cracks, crevices, and other areas where pests may be hiding. However, there are concerns regarding the chemical residues they leave behind, which can affect the quality of grains, germination, and seedling viability. The term "fumigant" comes from the word fumus, meaning smoke, as these chemicals, when subjected to specific temperatures and pressures, can exist in a gaseous state in concentrations high enough to kill targeted pests.
Phosphine offers notable advantages over methyl bromide (MB) for stored products and is generally preferred. In bulk storage systems, ethylene oxide is often used as a substitute for carbon disulfide when fumigating grain and seeds. Ethylene oxide is a colorless, odorless liquid at low temperatures but vaporizes quickly at higher temperatures.
STORED PRODUCT PEST Control
Pests that infest grain and other stored products have been a problem for centuries. Historical records show that as early as 2500 B.C., the Sumerians used sulfur compounds to protect their crops from insect damage. These fumigants, along with other alternative methods, continue to be used today to eliminate pests from stored products.
"Understanding the pest is half the battle in controlling it," explained an insect expert during a presentation at the Food Safety Symposium. Pests vary in their food preferences, habitats, life cycles, feeding stages, and adult lifespans. They also have different temperature tolerances, flight capabilities, and abilities to penetrate packaging. All these factors are crucial in selecting the most effective control method and in minimizing the conditions that allow pests to thrive and reproduce.
"Understanding the pest is half the battle in controlling it," explained an insect expert during a presentation at the Food Safety Symposium. Pests vary in their food preferences, habitats, life cycles, feeding stages, and adult lifespans. They also have different temperature tolerances, flight capabilities, and abilities to penetrate packaging. All these factors are crucial in selecting the most effective control method and in minimizing the conditions that allow pests to thrive and reproduce.
Fumigant Options for Stored Product Pests
Once beetles, weevils, or moths infest stored products, eliminating them can be challenging. Fumigation is the traditional method of control, though there are also non-chemical and natural alternatives available.
Fumigants are specialized pesticides that release gas to kill pests. According to Tom Phillips, a professor of entomology at Kansas State University, all fumigants are toxic and must be handled with care to ensure safety during application.
In the U.S., three synthetic gases are commonly used in food and food-related structures: methyl bromide (which has limited use today), hydrogen phosphide, and sulfuryl fluoride. Alternative methods to fumigation include heat treatment, controlled atmosphere, insect growth regulators (IGRs), and biological controls such as predators, parasitoids, and pathogens. Here’s an overview of each:
Methyl Bromide: Once the most widely used fumigant in flour mills and other fumigation processes, methyl bromide has been largely phased out due to its identification as an ozone-depleting substance under the 1989 Montreal Protocol. Its use was set to end by 2005, though short-term exemptions remain for a few specific uses, including international quarantine and pre-shipment fumigations.
Hydrogen Phosphide (Phosphine): Currently the most common fumigant used worldwide for grains, cereal grains, and oilseeds, phosphine gas is effective because it disperses well and is easily applied. It’s usually introduced as a solid that releases gas when exposed to warm temperatures and moisture. While it’s generally safe for professional use, it can be corrosive to some metals and electronics and must be applied with caution. Additionally, some pests have developed resistance to phosphine.
Sulfuryl Fluoride: This fumigant has been used for over 50 years, primarily for the control of drywood termites and wood-boring insects. In recent years, sulfuryl fluoride has also been approved for use in grain and food products. It is particularly useful in combating phosphine-resistant pests and is proving to be a valuable alternative to methyl bromide.
Heat: Heat treatment involves raising the temperature of infested stored products to around 122°F for several hours to kill insects. Although it’s not typically used on bulk-stored commodities, heat is gaining traction in building fumigation, especially in mills and warehouses. The challenge lies in ensuring heat penetrates all areas, especially hidden places like cracks in concrete floors. Freezing temperatures are also effective but less practical for large quantities.
Controlled Atmosphere: By significantly increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) or reducing oxygen levels in the air, insects can be killed over a period of several days. CO2 concentrations of 60 to 80 percent are lethal to pests, while reduced oxygen levels can suffocate them. This method, however, can be difficult to implement in large buildings that aren’t gas-tight. Low vacuum techniques that lower oxygen to lethal levels can be applied to smaller loads.
Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs): IGRs, such as methoprene or pyriproxyfen, are effective in disrupting the development of insects at their juvenile stages, preventing reproduction. These are very safe to use around food and people, making them a reliable choice for grain pest control.
Biological Controls: This method involves using beneficial insects to target pests. For example, parasitic wasps can lay eggs on moth larvae, with the larvae eventually feeding on and killing the host. While initially considered an adulterant, these beneficial insects are now classified as pesticides and are exempt from residue tolerance requirements.
These methods, whether chemical or natural, offer a range of options for effectively controlling pests in stored products. The choice of treatment depends on the specific pest, the type of stored product, and other factors like safety and environmental impact.
Fumigants are specialized pesticides that release gas to kill pests. According to Tom Phillips, a professor of entomology at Kansas State University, all fumigants are toxic and must be handled with care to ensure safety during application.
In the U.S., three synthetic gases are commonly used in food and food-related structures: methyl bromide (which has limited use today), hydrogen phosphide, and sulfuryl fluoride. Alternative methods to fumigation include heat treatment, controlled atmosphere, insect growth regulators (IGRs), and biological controls such as predators, parasitoids, and pathogens. Here’s an overview of each:
Methyl Bromide: Once the most widely used fumigant in flour mills and other fumigation processes, methyl bromide has been largely phased out due to its identification as an ozone-depleting substance under the 1989 Montreal Protocol. Its use was set to end by 2005, though short-term exemptions remain for a few specific uses, including international quarantine and pre-shipment fumigations.
Hydrogen Phosphide (Phosphine): Currently the most common fumigant used worldwide for grains, cereal grains, and oilseeds, phosphine gas is effective because it disperses well and is easily applied. It’s usually introduced as a solid that releases gas when exposed to warm temperatures and moisture. While it’s generally safe for professional use, it can be corrosive to some metals and electronics and must be applied with caution. Additionally, some pests have developed resistance to phosphine.
Sulfuryl Fluoride: This fumigant has been used for over 50 years, primarily for the control of drywood termites and wood-boring insects. In recent years, sulfuryl fluoride has also been approved for use in grain and food products. It is particularly useful in combating phosphine-resistant pests and is proving to be a valuable alternative to methyl bromide.
Heat: Heat treatment involves raising the temperature of infested stored products to around 122°F for several hours to kill insects. Although it’s not typically used on bulk-stored commodities, heat is gaining traction in building fumigation, especially in mills and warehouses. The challenge lies in ensuring heat penetrates all areas, especially hidden places like cracks in concrete floors. Freezing temperatures are also effective but less practical for large quantities.
Controlled Atmosphere: By significantly increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) or reducing oxygen levels in the air, insects can be killed over a period of several days. CO2 concentrations of 60 to 80 percent are lethal to pests, while reduced oxygen levels can suffocate them. This method, however, can be difficult to implement in large buildings that aren’t gas-tight. Low vacuum techniques that lower oxygen to lethal levels can be applied to smaller loads.
Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs): IGRs, such as methoprene or pyriproxyfen, are effective in disrupting the development of insects at their juvenile stages, preventing reproduction. These are very safe to use around food and people, making them a reliable choice for grain pest control.
Biological Controls: This method involves using beneficial insects to target pests. For example, parasitic wasps can lay eggs on moth larvae, with the larvae eventually feeding on and killing the host. While initially considered an adulterant, these beneficial insects are now classified as pesticides and are exempt from residue tolerance requirements.
These methods, whether chemical or natural, offer a range of options for effectively controlling pests in stored products. The choice of treatment depends on the specific pest, the type of stored product, and other factors like safety and environmental impact.
FUMIGATION IN CEBU
Technologist Pest Control fumigation services in Cebu prevent the spread of pests and minimize the risk of damage to your goods.
We perform fumigation services – including the treatment of cargoes loaded into sea-going vessels, barges and containers – in ports and logistics centers in the country. Accordingly, these services comply with stringent national and international legislation, with best practice and with globally agreed quality and safety standards.
Our fumigation and pest management services – which are effective and reliable at all stages of the supply chain – include:
We perform fumigation services – including the treatment of cargoes loaded into sea-going vessels, barges and containers – in ports and logistics centers in the country. Accordingly, these services comply with stringent national and international legislation, with best practice and with globally agreed quality and safety standards.
Our fumigation and pest management services – which are effective and reliable at all stages of the supply chain – include:
- Fumigation of stored goods
- Fumigation of bagged and bulk agricultural commodities (e.g. cereals, cocoa, coffee, peanuts, pulses, tobacco) in silos, stacks and warehouses
- Fumigation during or prior to shipment
- Disinfection of empty holds
- Denaturation and coloration
- Fumigation of cargos loaded in barges and other vessels, containers, trains and trucks
- Biocide treatment of cargoes
- Treatment of agricultural commodities against insects and mites
- Disinfection and fumigation for the food and beverage industry (e.g. breweries, flour mills, malt houses)
- Pre-shipment treatment of wooden packaging materials (e.g. crates, dunnage, pallets, lashings) according to International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures-15 (ISPM-15)
- Quarantine fumigation of wood and timber, to obtain a phytosanitary certificate
- Ventilation and gas-free measurement
- If you want to minimize your trade risks through worldwide protection of your agricultural commodities, contact Technologist Pest Control Iloilo now.
FUMIGATION SERVICES IN ILOILO
Providing you the best range of Stored Grain Fumigation Services, Industrial Fumigation Service, Commercial Fumigation Service and Wooden Pallets Fumigation Services in Iloilo with effective & timely delivery.
We have carved a niche for ourselves in this specialized fumigation service in Iloilo by rendering highly effective Wooden Pallets Fumigation Services. By making use of high grade fumigant chemicals, our skilled professionals r treat the area to eliminate any hidden pest and bugs and their eggs.
We have carved a niche for ourselves in this specialized fumigation service in Iloilo by rendering highly effective Wooden Pallets Fumigation Services. By making use of high grade fumigant chemicals, our skilled professionals r treat the area to eliminate any hidden pest and bugs and their eggs.
FUMIGATION SERVICE IN BACOLOD, NEGROS OCCIDENTAl
Our range of fumigation services in Bacolod, Negros Occidental include Pallet Fumigation Services, Carbondioxide Fumigation Services, Fumigation Service, Stack Fumigation Services, Wooden Packaging Material Fumigation Services and Phosphine Fumigation Services. We are providing Pallet Fumigation Services(Plastic and wooden Pallet Fumigation) for all Commercial and Industrial spaces. Pallets and other wooden packaging whether used in export or used within the country are fumigated against insect pests that infest wood. For export purposes, such Wooden Packaging Material (WPM) is fumigated, stamped with the seal approved by the government authorities and a fumigation certificate issued to the exporter as per the norms
Technologist Pest Control Conducts Fumigation in the following areas: Fumigation in Cebu, Fumigation in Iloilo, Fumigation in Bacolod City, Fumigation in Antipolo, Fumigation in Pasay, Fumigation in Cavite, Fumigation in Calabarzon. Call us for Fumigation at our nationwide Hotline number 0927.365.2847