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OF 



CIRCULAR No. 369 



DECEMBER 1935 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 WASHINGTON, D.C. 



INDUSTRIAL FUMIGATION AGAINST INSECTS' 



By E. A. Back, principal c nt otnalo gist, and It. T. Cotton, senior entomologist, 

 Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction - — 1 



General mill or warehouse fumigation . 2 



Requirements for a successful fumigation _ 5 



Preparing the building for fumigation . _ . 6 

 Desirability of a high temperature during 



the fumigation 8 



Effect of wind velocity 9 



Choice of a furnigant 9 



Quantity of furnigant needed 9 



Applying the furnigant 10 



Fumigation with hydrocyanic acid gas.. 11 



The barrel or pot method 11 



The liquid method 17 



Thediscoid method 20 



The powder method 23 



Fumigation with chloropicrin 24 



F umi gation with ethylene oxide-carbon 



dioxide mixture 25 



Fumigation with methyl formate-carbon 



dioxide mixtures 26 



Vault fumigation 27 



Use of fumigants suitable also for large 



spaces 30 



Use of other fumigants 30 



Carbon disulphide 30 



Carbon tetrachloride 31 



Ethylene dichloride 31 



Ethylene oxide 32 



Bin fumigation . 32 



Vacuum fumigation 33 



Equipment 33 



Procedure 35 



Fumigation of various commodities 37 



Page 

 Fumigation of various commodities — Contd. 



Confectionery 38 



Vault fumigation for nuts 38 



Vacuum f umiga tion f or nut meats . . . 38 

 Fumigation schedule for candy fac- 

 tories 39 



Dosages 39 



Furniture 39 



Furs and garments 40 



Construction of storage rooms 40 



Dosages 40 



Effect of fumigation on furs 42 



Rugs and tapestries 42 



Dried fruit 43 



Treating the finished product 44 



Infestations in warehouses 44 



Cured meats and cheeses 45 



Stored tobacco 45 



Flour 47 



Preparing the mill for fumigation 47 



Choice of furnigant 43 



Hydrocyanic acid gas for mill fumi- 

 gation 48 



Chloropicrin as a mill furnigant 48 



Local fumigation 49 



Fumigation of flour warehouses 49 



Vault fumigation for flour or cereal 



mill 49 



Safeguards to be employed in fumigation 



work 50 



First aid for poisoning from hydrocyanic acid 



gas.. 51 



Shaefer prone-pressure method of artificial 



respiration.. 52 



INTRODUCTION 



Insect infestation is frequently a problem of considerable impor- 

 tance in the storage of many types of merchandise. During warm 

 weather or in heated buildings, foodstuffs, cereals, seeds, tobacco, furs, 

 fabrics, etc., are highly susceptible to infestation by insects, and 

 heavy losses are likely to occur unless adequate protection is given 

 them. If cold-storage facilities are available, such commodities can 

 be protected from insect damage by holding them at temperatures 

 below 45° to 50° F Many times, however, it is impossible or 



* The investigations upon which this circular is based were made in the former Division of Household 

 and Stored Product Insects, and the manuscript was prepared and submitted by that Division. 



430°— 35 1 



