Project Number: 5430-43000-027-07
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Sep 01, 2006
End Date: Jul 31, 2009

Objective:
There is limited information available on the impact of fumigation on pest populations in food facilities such as flour mills. This makes it difficult to compare the effectiveness of methyl bromide alternatives such as surfuryl fluoride. Traditional field monitoring approaches do not provide an accurate assessment of the impact of the treatment on resident pest populations. The critical questions about fumigant efficacy in the field are 1) how much is the pest population reduced following treatment, and 2)how quickly does the pest population rebound.

Approach:
Data will be collected by 1) short term monitoring immediately before and after treatment with different fumigants; and 2) monitoring individual locations over long periods of time during which multiple fumigations are performed with both types of fumigant.