The practical application of mating disruption to reduce the population of Ephestia elutella (Hübner, 1813) and Plodia interpunctella (Hübner, 1796) in chocolate and dried fruit processing industries and to drop disinfestation activities using biocidal products

Abstract: The authors described an accurate monitoring programme carried out prior (12 months), and during (24 months) the introduction of the mating disruption technique for the population control of Ephestia elutella (Hübner) and Plodia interpunctella (Hübner). With the same structural and management of the food factories, as the same settings, number and location of traps used for the monitoring activities and the same dosage of pheromones used for the mating disruption technique, the authors showed the results of the mating disruption leading to a significant reduction of the pest population by E. elutella in the chocolate processing plant and P. interpunctella in the dried fruit processing plant. In this latter case, implications were also observed concerning a reduction of the disinfestation treatments to be carried out using biocidal products.