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Article: "Sting operation" to protect groceries.(parasitic wasps control moth eggs)(Brief article)
- Article from:
- Agricultural Research
- Article date:
- May 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 U.S. Government Printing Office. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Nearly invisible, harmless, parasitic wasps might one day patrol the aisles of large grocery stores and warehouses, homing in on various stored-product pests that sometimes infest flour, cereal, pet food, and other grain-based products. These pests can even chew through some types of tough protective packaging. Controlling them with traditional chemicals isn't always effective.
Parasitic wasps are an Earth-friendly way to keep these stored food pests in check. Work with one of the most common offenders, the Indianmeal moth, is showing that tiny wasps in the genus Trichogramma could do the trick. Trichogramma wasps have been used ...