Post-harvest Tobacco Infestation Control

This text reviews all aspects of the insect pests of tobacco, including the methods used for their control, from the point at which the crop is harvested through to the production and storage of finished tobacco products. It discusses the biology of the pests, the tobacco beetle Lasioderma serricorne and tobacco moth Ephestia elutella, and methods of monitoring for their presence with pheromone traps. It also examines sanitation programmes to prevent infestation, emphasising the efficient cleaning regimens which are needed from harvest through to shipping, processing and storage of tobacco, including the storage of finished tobacco products. Control procedures to eliminate outbreaks of infestation are also reviewed, including the use of fumigation, insecticides, insect growth regulators and physical methods. Protocols for the use of physical methods, primarily heating and cooling to combat infestation by insects, are also covered. In addition, a number of case histories are described to demonstrate integration of the methodologies. The text is supplemented with a full reference list.