Storage pests are numerous, widely distributed, and have a wide range of feeding habits. They generally have strong reproductive capacities, short life cycles, and strong resistance to stress and starvation. They carry a variety of methods of damage, including borers, strippers, eroders, and entanglers. They are difficult to detect and are closely related to the physical and chemical properties of grain, making control challenging.Controlling storage pests requires a systematic approach, prioritizing prevention while also focusing on control. Cleanliness and sanitation are fundamental, with physical control as the primary approach and chemical control as a secondary approach.

1. Quarantine

Due to the widespread and often human-induced spread of grain and agricultural products, it is crucial to strengthen effective quarantine of quarantined items to prevent pest infestation.

2. Cleanliness and Sanitation

Thoroughly remove accumulated garbage, dust, debris, cobwebs, uncultivated grain, and weeds, garbage, and sewage from outside the warehouse. Grain and oil warehouses must maintain a clean, empty warehouse schedule. Machinery, equipment, and pipelines must be regularly cleaned. Packaging materials, tools, grain handling machinery, and transportation vehicles must also be kept clean. 

3. Disinfection work

Empty warehouses must be disinfected, especially when the temperature drops to 13 degrees in winter or rises to above 10 degrees in spring; processing plants must be disinfected, combined with equipment maintenance, and thoroughly cleaned and then treated with fumigants; insect repellent tapes should be sprayed with agents when appropriate. Disinfection methods can use low temperatures in winter and high temperatures in summer, or be carried out simultaneously with empty warehouse agents and steam disinfection.

Physical control

(1) High temperature.

The most suitable temperature for the growth and development of general grain storage pests is 15-35 degrees, the highest development temperature is 40-45 degrees, and the general inactive temperature range is 0-15 degrees or 35-40 degrees. When the temperature rises to 45-48 degrees, most pests are in a heat sleep state. When the temperature rises to 48-52 degrees, the pests will die in 10-12 hours, and when it rises to 62.8 degrees, all insect stages will die in just 5 minutes. The main methods of high-temperature pest control include sun exposure, drying, steaming, scalding with hot water or boiling water, and infrared heating. 

(2) Freezing

Use the cold and low temperatures in winter or early spring to lower the temperature of grain to inhibit the development and reproduction of pests. Generally speaking, the lowest temperature for the life activities of stored grain pests is 8-15 degrees. If it is lower than this temperature, the development and reproduction will stop. When the temperature drops to 4-8 degrees, the pests will enter hibernation. If it drops further, they may freeze stiff or even die after a period of time.

(3) Hypoxia
Under closed conditions, reducing the oxygen content in the atmosphere from 21% to 2% or even below for a period of time can suffocate the pests. This method is particularly effective for certain grains with high moisture content or prone to heat and deterioration in hot seasons. Possible methods include vacuum nitrogen filling, carbon dioxide, and microbial assisted hypoxia.
In addition, physical control methods include light moth luring, solar energy, infrared, ion radiation, microwave and other electromagnetic radiation.

V. Chemical control
(1) Set up insect-proof belts. For pests that overwinter outside the warehouse, such as corn weevils and saw-saw grain beetles, spray insect-proof lines around the warehouse before returning to the warehouse in the spring. 1% malathion powder can be used.
(2) Use grain protectants. Mix a certain amount of grain protectants into the raw grain to prevent insect pests. However, finished grains should not be mixed with pesticides to avoid contamination.
(3) Fumigation with pesticides. When the storage pests are serious, fumigation with pesticides can be used. Currently, methyl bromide and phosphine are more commonly used.
In addition, biological control methods can be used, mainly using sex hormones, pathogenic microorganisms, and pest protozoa for prevention and control.