Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is looking for six to 10 sites to monitor for insects in bins in southern Alberta this fall.
It is an opportunity to further understand what is in the bins and how insects can be controlled. Participants who volunteer can ask for the results from their own bins and bin yard.
The survey goal is to help detect potentially new invasive pests to the area and determine what insect species are infesting stored grain on the Prairies, under which conditions, so research can focus on control tactics.
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The survey will be conducted in September and October and researchers will need to visit the farm at least twice. During the first visit, they will determine which bins are suitable for insect traps and will deploy these traps. They are probe traps placed under the surface of the grain to catch insects moving throughout it.
Traps will also be placed outside the bin on a shepherd’s hook to catch any flying grain insects. During the second visit, the traps will be removed and a 0.5-kilogram sample of grain will be taken for moisture content analysis.
Researchers will identify any insects inside the traps and notify the participant of the results. When results are communicated in a scientific publication, the insects of interest will only be linked to the RM or city where they are found, not to specific farms. For example, in a publication we would state “Rusty grain beetle, Cryptolestes ferrugineus was found in a grain bin near Oyen, Alberta.”
Those interested in participating should answer these questions:
1. What is the address of the grain bins? (physical address or GPS co-ordinates)
2. When is the expected date of harvest? (If unknown, researchers can make contact again near the end of August).
3. What commodities are being harvested and stored?
For more information, contact Kelsey Jones at [email protected]
