Pilot project for monitoring stored-product pest insects inside and outside grain storages in Germany

To date there are still few accurate figures on the distribution of stored-product pest
insects in Germany and the damage they cause to postharvest plant products. Not only endemic,
but also new species introduced by trade and tourism or migrating naturally due to warmer
temperatures as a result of climate change pose a threat. The lack of information on pest
occurrence, the level of infestation, and the amount of current losses of stored plant products
makes it difficult to improve existing and develop new control methods. Therefore, preventive
measures are needed in cultivation, storage and trade, and efficient strategies for early detection
of pest organisms must be developed to prevent their introduction and propagation.
The objective of this pilot project was to test methods for collecting data on the incidence
of stored-product pests in Germany. For this reason, and to determine the emergence of both
established and potentially newly introduced species, a monitoring was started in 2020.
Different semiochemical-baited moth and beetle traps, previously tested in the laboratory, were
set up on four grain-storing farms in the east of Germany outside grain storages, near the
adjacent fields, and inside grain storages. Traps were checked monthly and insect catches were
subsequently analyzed and evaluated in the laboratory. First results show that, in addition to a
large number of stored-product pests caught inside grain storages (e. g., sawtoothed grain
beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis, Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella), some insects,
including various moth species as well as the lesser grain borer Rhyzopertha dominica, were
trapped outside in the field. All these species are established in Germany.