Today we are going to meet the biggest enemy of tobacco, the Lasioderma Serricorne. This beetle-looking insect can damage the stored tobacco, whether it is on a branch or if the product is already processed. These insects not only cause damage to tobacco, but can also damage food or plants. It has several stages of development: egg, larva, pupa and adult.
Lasioderma females lay about 100 to 150 eggs from which the larvae are born, reaching the maximum of their development in a period of about 50 days and enter the pupal stage, which lasts from 8 to 10 days. The life cycle of these lasts more or less the same as that of the larvae. In favourable atmospheric conditions the pupae could take 6 to 8 weeks to move on to adulthood. Finally, the adult stage of these insects lasts about 2 or 4 weeks.
The tobacco beetle is reddish yellow or brown, measures about 3 millimetres, has saw-shaped antennae and its head tilts downwards. Lasiodermas Serricornes make holes in cigars, cigarettes or any product containing tobacco, eating the contents of its interior and emptying it until it is useless. The damage occurs both in the larval stage and in the adult stage.
As for the control and prevention of this type of pest, it is recommended to follow the standard procedures for pest control of stored products, which consists of the following six steps:
– Prevention: Absolutely all stored products should be inspected and the tobacconist should maintain the conditions required to reduce the chances of insect entry.
– Good Hygiene: Proper maintenance of facilities and removal of infected products reduces the sources of pests.
– Adequate storage: Stock should be organized in the warehouse in such a way that it is feasible to immediately remove any products that may be infected.
– Inventory rotation: It is advisable to use the FIFO (First in First out) system, which means the oldest products must be put on sale first, in order to ensure that they always reach the consumer in good condition.
– Ventilation: There should be good ventilation in the tobacconist in order not to favour the growth of Lasioderma, which improves in humid climates.
– Control: Finally, a good control consists of the correct detection of any pest during periodic inspections. These insects should not be killed with insecticides, as this would result in the loss of all tobacco products.
In our Eurotabaco tobacconists we follow each one of the steps of the controls and prevention of plagues and we use homologated traps together with the pheromone Lasioderma Serricorne, specially indicated for its use in tobacconists. To find out how to get to our tobacconists in Benidorm, here is the link.
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