Abstract
There are a number of strategies used to mitigate and control insect infestations in stored products and stored product facilities in North America and globally. Fumigation remains one of the main techniques used, particularly in bulk grain. Other techniques are also utilized effectively, such as the use of extreme temperatures and the use of biological control agents, but are mainly restricted to organic products and to Europe, respectively. Here, we review the past research conducted in the field of biological control for pests of stored products in North America and in Europe, its past and present successes in Europe, its challenges, and what we can learn from them to develop biological control as a viable option to problems of insect pests of stored products in North America.
Highlights
The use of beneficial arthropods for controlling infestations of insects and mites in stored products, processing facilities and warehouses has undeniable benefits
Commercialization of a predatory mite, Cheyletus eruditus (Schrank), for the biological control of stored food mites was initiated in Czechoslovakia in 1983 [5,6,7], and in 1997 a company specializing in the marketing of biological control agents for the food product industry was established and has since proven to be an effective and viable practice [8]
We can only guess why this attempt did not last but the root of the problem may have been the general lack of knowledge of beneficial insects and of biological control by stakeholders and consumer populations of North American countries compared to European countries [9], with consumers not accepting that insects be associated with food products and manufacturers unwilling to risk consumer complaints or to fail an inspection if “insects” are found in the facilities
Summary
The use of beneficial arthropods for controlling infestations of insects and mites in stored products, processing facilities and warehouses has undeniable benefits. Commercialization of a predatory mite, Cheyletus eruditus (Schrank), for the biological control of stored food mites was initiated in Czechoslovakia in 1983 [5,6,7], and in 1997 a company specializing in the marketing of biological control agents for the food product industry was established and has since proven to be an effective and viable practice [8] This practice is increasingly growing in popularity in Central Europe, with suppliers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The fifth step is to always follow good practices and avoid becoming complacent It is not the goal of the current contribution to go into these items in any detail as there are publications that can be consulted to this effect [20,21,22,23,24,25]. Biological control may be used to replace techniques to kill insects when there are signs of infestations, or to maintain pest populations at low levels before regulatory-specified tolerances
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