Extension Leaflet 360
May,  1953
PUBLISHED  BY PURDUE UNIVERSITY AGRICULTURALEXTENSION SERVICE
Preventing Storage Troubles in Soft lied Winter Wheat
Material Prepared by Glen Lehker, Extension Entomologist; G. C. Oderkirk, U. S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wild Life Service; and H. R. Lathrope, Extension Agronomist, all
of Purdue University. This material has been prepared especially for the Pocket Area of Indiana,
but may be applicable to other sections of Indiana where similar conditions exist.
Insects cause damage. Stored grain insects
can take a lot of the profit out of the wheat
growing business. Weevils and other insects
cause Indiana farmers a loss of $1,000,000 each
year on 25.000,000 bushels of wheat.
When grain contains more than 13.5 percent
moisture and when kernels are cracked or
broken, conditions are favorable for insect
damage. These pests lower the market value
of wheat by decreasing the test weight, impairing the milling quality, reducing the germination and contaminating it with insects, insect
fragments and excreta. Such grain may be
declared unfit for human use by government
authorities.
There are several different kinds of insects
which infest wheat. The most important can be
grouped into three classes: (1) the true weevils, such as the rice weevil and the granary
weevil, which work from within and destroy
the wheat kernel from the inside ; (2) the grain
moths, especially the Indian meal moth which
webs the grains, and the Angoumois grain
moth which develops inside the kernel as do
the weevils; (3) the "bran beetles" which feed
only on the cracked or broken kernels and
grain dust. The cadelle. confused flour beetle,
and the sawtoothed grain beetle are examples
of "bran beetles".
SAW-TOOTHED GRAIN  BEETLE
ANGOUMOIS  GRAIN MOTH
RICE WEEVIL
CADELLE LARVA
CONFUSED
CADELLE FLOUR
ADULT BEETLE
These are some of the insect pests that attack stored wheat.
Stored grain insects live over winter in grain
bins.    The   rice  weevil   is   one   of the most important insects damaging wheat in Indiana,
but it does not live over winter in fields except                                                                                                                                                                      in the other states. The rice weevil and                                                                                                                                                                               other insects attacking and damaging wheat
live over winter in the grain bins and in refuse
material stored in granaries. People often see
insects in grain at harvest time, but they are
not stored grain insects and do not continue to
develop in storage.
Cleanliness pays dividends. Grain must meet
high standards if it is to lie processed for
human consumption. Livestock prefer clean
grain, too. Sanitation is the cornerstone around
which good grain storage is built. To keep
your stored grain sanitary, follow these sug
gestions: (1) Place screens over all openings
of the granary. This will keep out birds and
yet make ventilation possible. (2) Once a year,
thoroughly clean the granary and all equip
ment used in hauling and handling grain.
(3) Keep grain free from foreign material such
as sticks, stones or filth. Any foreign material
is undesirable and reduces the market value
and grade of grain.
Old wheat. Old wheat should never be kepi
in storage without protection against insects.
Under no circumstance- should "Id wheat be
mixed with new wheat. Small lots of "Id wheat
carried over winter for feed should he stored in
buildings not used for wheat storage. Even
very small lots of old wheat can easily contaminate a carload of sound wheat. Old wheal
should never be mixed with newly combined
wheat because of the danger of contaminating
and reducing the market value and grade of
the entire lot. Remove all old sacks and feed
from the granary or building where grain is
stored.
Losses.    Many   wheat   producers   have   suf
fered losses of as much as 50 cents per bushel
on   wheat   stored   in   bins   not   cleaned   and
sprayed with DDT and not fumigated or pro
tected.   In 1951, one producer suffered a loss
of fifty cents  per  bushel   on  more  than  one
thousand bushels due to insect and rodent con
tamination, because he did not spray his wheat
bin   and   properly   fumigate   the   grain. This
$500 loss could have been saved with a few
hours work  and  expenditure  of   from   $5   to
$10 for chemicals.
What to do? Control of stored grain insects
is simple and easy. Use a power or hand spray
and wet the floors, walls and ceilings of all
grain bins with a 2.5 percent solution of DDT.
Use two pounds of a 50 percent DDT wettable