Implementing advanced pest control measures
CU Pestmanagement to the rescue
Implementing Advanced Pest Control Measures
What if a premium basmati rice cargo is threatened to be destroyed by ravenous beetles? One might consider combating them with an approved biocide. But what if one would like to refrain as much as possible from using toxic chemicals? Van Sillevoldt Rijst B.V. in the Netherlands, Europe’s largest rice importer, faced this predicament, and Control Union Pest Management came to the aid of their loyal customer with an advanced non-toxic pest control method.
Beetles devastating Rice
Van Sillevoldt Rijst B.V. (VSR) stands as one of the major rice importers in the European food market. Every year, the company deals with around 75,000 metric tons of rice in over fifteen varieties, ranging from risotto to basmati rice. Unfortunately, such large quantities of food can at any point in its long supply chain, become a haven for pests. Particularly, the “rice beetle” (Sitophilus oryzae) poses a significant threat to companies like VSR. These beetles reproduce rapidly throughout the year in ideal circumstances such as storage places and containers. Both larvae and adult insects consume a substantial amount and molt about eight times during their life cycle. As a result, not only does the cargo get consumed, but it also becomes contaminated, rendering much of it unusable. Importer VSR discovered these destructive pests in a basmati rice parcel and sought help from Control Union Pest Management.
Non-Toxic Eradication
Eradicating the beetles presented a complex challenge. Most often, pest organisms are dealt with using approved chemical agents like phosphine. However, for certain types of rice, such as basmati, this approach is undesirable due to, for example, stringent import regulations. Thankfully, Control Union Pest Management had a solution ready for VSR: an advanced and effective “controlled atmosphere” pest management method that requires no toxic agents. The oxygen level within the cargo is reduced, creating an environment where pests (as well as fungi) cannot survive. But how did Control Union Pest Management tackle this task with VSR’s large rice parcel?
“During discharge, our surveyors detected the cargo was invested with alive insects. Just a couple of hours later the guys from Control Union Pest Management came to help fix the problem. Treatment was done in the original storage place, so our losses were minimum.”
Han van Elzelingen, Van Sillevoldt Rijst B.V. – The Netherlands
Preventing Million-Dollar Losses
VSR’s basmati rice cargo was stored in a dedicated rice-silo in Dordrecht, equipped with a plug-and-play in-situ nitrogen generating system. A hose connected to the bottom of the silo introduced nitrogen from the ambient air into the cargo, thereby reducing the oxygen level throughout the parcel. Using oxygen sensors and temperature sensors, experts from Control Union Pest Management closely monitored the treatment 24/7. This approach effectively and efficiently eliminated the beetles. Because the cargo was treated in the silo where delivery was originally planned there were no additional logistics costs.
Broad spectre of services
Control Union Pest Management offers tailored advanced pest management methods. For VSR, the controlled atmosphere technique in the large silo was a perfect solution. This method can also be employed for smaller and larger inventories. Control Union Pest Management can build a controlled atmosphere room on-site or treat individual big bags, as well as treat big parcels in flat warehouses. CUPM further offers, Integrated Pest Management (rat and mouse control), heat treatment and traditional vessel- and stored products fumigation.
Want to learn more?
Want to learn more and see how Control Union Pest management can tailor solutions to your demands? Contact Giorgio Verweij, Global Sales and Method Specialist