Continued
Life Cycle:
The males and females
come together using identified pheromones (specific aromatic
attractant substances). Each female lays an average of about
40 tiny white eggs on or near the grain, and in 4 to 8 days
these hatch into minute, white larvae that bore into the kernels
of barley, rye, corn, oats and wheat. The larvae are pale yellowish
when mature, with a yellowish-brown head, and are about 5 mm
long when full grown. They have poorly developed abdominal
prolegs. The larva passes through 3 instars in about 3 weeks,
but may hibernate before changing to a reddish-brown pupa in
the spring. Pupation takes place in a silken cocoon in the
feeding cavity in the kernel. There are 2 to 4 generations
a year. Ideal temperature for development is 30-32°C at a relative
humidity of 75%.
Treatment:
The only succesful way to treat this problem is
to fumigate, this is because the problem is hidden in the
form of the larvae until the population of adults gets to
such a point as it becomes obvious. Fumigation will kill
the larvae and adults in one go. Another way of controlling
the adults is to use pheromone traps, which continue to be
developed and refined by various companies around the world. |
Flour
Beetles 
