506 

 Insects in Relation to Problems of Storage of Food in Hawaii. 



BY JOIIX COLBURX BltID-\VELL, 

 [Read at November meeting.] 



The problem of food storage and food conservation in 

 Hawaii is affected by the destructive action of insects. A con- 

 siderable number of species of stored-food insects are present 

 but the different ones need not be considered separately since 

 several species may be present in the same food and in general 

 all these attacks are to be combatted in much the same way. 

 There are differences in the resistance among these insects to 

 the action of the instruments of sterilization and the measures 

 resorted to must be adjusted to the most resistant. 



Certain general facts in regard to stored-food insects are 

 to be borne in mind. All stored-food insects are developed 

 from eggs and in all of any great importance there is a larval, 

 or grub, or caterpillar stage, followed by an inactive pupal 

 stage before the insect emerges as an adult. In these different 

 stages there is considerable difference in the insect's resistance 

 to fumigation or other means of killing them and the character 

 of the foot product an<l the way in which it is attacked causes 

 variation in our methods of attack. Compact substances are 

 but slowly penetrated by fumigants and aromatic and fatty sub- 

 stances cannot be subjected to heat. 



Generally speaking, food is more likeh' to become infested 

 in the mill or factory than in the store and in the store than 

 in the home. If the mills and factories can be kept free of 

 infestation there will be but little loss in stored foods consumed 

 in the Islands within a short time after their importation. 

 There is an encouraging increase in the number of mills and 

 factories which sterilize their products before they are placed 

 on the market. No doubt the number could be materially in- 

 creased if there were concerted demands for such sterilization 

 made by the importers. In many cases the food may become 

 infested either by the adult insect entering loose masses of the 

 food and laying their eggs or by the small larvae entering 

 through the crevices in the containers. 



