Rusty Grain Beetles

[FarmerSmuck]

Any advice on how to treat Rusty’s?
-freeze them with aeration?
-turn and treat?
-load with a vac?

They are out of control in my area!!!

[biglentil]

Diatomaceous earth when loading prior to the issue. Vac works but doesn't get the larvae.

[BreadWinner]

Turn on the fans and feeeze them

[FarmerSmuck]

Do you know what temp I need to get the grain down to in the bin. I have heard -20

[biglentil]

Worth a try, custom phostoxin application is about 7 - 10 cents a bushel if you can find someone with a license willing to applicate. The product ain't cheap even the applicators cost.

[blackpowder]

By now you may have a crust on top that needs churning. Convection current in bin will still be toasty depending on size. If crusted, nice and warm.
Anytime it's real early and warm I dust the last load if bin no air.
Otherwise use the fans, never bugs.
Supposedly under 15c they're not traveling or mating but still feeding. So cool that grain right away in the fall.
Not certain at what temp you kill them. But I'll definitely freeze all bins here soon.

[Jordy2323]

Cold Temperatures

An effective method of controlling insect infestations in stored grain in winter is to lower the temperature of the grain. Rusty grain beetles and most other stored grain insects can be killed by periods of low temperatures as follows:

Grain Temperature in degrees Celsius	Time Required to kill insects
-5C	12 weeks
-10 C	8 weeks
-15 C	4 weeks
-20 C	1 week

Grain is a very good insulator. When it is undisturbed, it holds temperature well. Grain in bins over 6 metres in diameter will not cool sufficiently to control some insects without assistance.

[poorboy]

If you have bugs there will be a crust on that bin and aeration fans will be useless.

If you have a grain vac load truck and move to different bin and treat heavy and steady with diatomaceous earth as you fill the bin.

Usually just have to get the top of the bin cone inverted to the sidewall of the bin.

Like others, after a few issues over the years, I now add diatomaceous earth to first load of every bin and heavy on the last 20% of every bin.

Cost a few dollars but way easier than dealing with issues now.

[fjlip]

Important to remove +30 grain temp at harvest, cool at night if air bin.

We dry into unaired bin, or fill at night. Cool aerated down near zero. Move and freeze now.

Important to remove a load from full bins in winter, cools faster.

That's a plus for bags, they are -20C all the way through by now!

Only once in last 30 years, a full unaired bin in June had a crust/bugs at the top.

Treated as moved, all of it with Protect- It in July.

Bugs dead in about a month in summer, 90% graded a #1, rest was a bit heated.

Just extra work.

[fjlip]

Hey downunder, really curious how the grain stores harvesting at +40C?

Never possible to freeze it?

[WiltonRanch]

Use the Protect It brand of diatomaceous earth. Feed grade stuff does work but the Protect It is ground finer so a little is a lot more effective. If I have a buggy bin I like to put DE in the top of the bin as you’re filling a truck. Then put the load back in while adding DE at the auger. Leave it a couple weeks and vac it out if you have one. I usually add a cup for every tandem load at harvest and that’s the cheaper feed grade stuff. Last bug problem was a bin I didn’t add any DE. It is well worth the hassle at harvest.

[Sodbuster]

Use the Protect It brand of diatomaceous earth. Feed grade stuff does work but the Protect It is ground finer so a little is a lot more effective. If I have a buggy bin I like to put DE in the top of the bin as you’re filling a truck. Then put the load back in while adding DE at the auger. Leave it a couple weeks and vac it out if you have one. I usually add a cup for every tandem load at harvest and that’s the cheaper feed grade stuff. Last bug problem was a bin I didn’t add any DE. It is well worth the hassle at harvest.

That sounds a bit light, I would think you would want at least a gallon for a tandem load and that may still be on the light end according to the directions.

[blackpowder]

Hey downunder, really curious how the grain stores harvesting at +40C?

Never possible to freeze it?

Never been to Oz but what I saw in China all had piping for gas.
Think the stats might be grain in warmer climes can be gassed 7+ times before consumption.

[Blaithin]

Turn it on the coldest day you can, add in Protect It while you do. About the only way. It has to be so ridiculously cold to kill them, or medium cold for so long, it can be hard. Turn it into an air bin and continue to blast them, even better.

Vacuum can work but depending on how many you have, it's not a guarantee. They can be missing parts and still be alive. Numerous are the times a farmer gets told he has live bugs and his reply is "But I vacc'd it" I've seen grain vacuumed three times before there's no live ones found (extremely polluted bin mind you).

Nobody seems to use Phos anymore. Assume it's because they don't want to bother paying someone when they can't do it themselves now. If you have a break in the weather, there's supposed to be a warm up here next week, then that probably gives you the best guaranteed outcome with the least amount of dicking around.

They're definitely starting to make their presence known. Don't think I go a week without finding some.

[WiltonRanch]

That sounds a bit light, I would think you would want at least a gallon for a tandem load and that may still be on the light end according to the directions.

You are right on that one if it’s infected. For a profilactic treatment at harvest it seems to work. Feed grade DE I tend to be a bit more liberal with the dosage.