CONTROL OF INSECTS ATTACKING STORED TOBACCO 33 



Much of the fumigation of tobacco in vacuum takes place dur- 

 ing the fall, winter, and spring months, when the temperature of 

 the tobacco is below 70° F. The recommendations for dosage and 

 exposure in table 1 are likely to be revised when more information 

 is available on the effectiveness of the fumigants at low tempera- 

 tures. 



Control in Tobacco Factories 



statement of problem 



Tobacco factories are usually located near large storage warehouses. 

 The buildings vary in size and may range from one to six stories high, 

 depending upon the capacity of the factory. It is necessary to have the 

 maximum amount of daylight for the various processes of manufac- 

 ture, such as stemming, blending, bulking, heating, and making the 

 finished products. The factory contains many windows, doors, elevator 

 shafts, and other openings. The greatest danger of factory infestation 

 lies in bringing the cigarette beetle and the tobacco moth into the 

 factory in leaf tobacco from storage. Another important source of 

 contamination in the factory is the migration of adults from storage 

 warehouses through the unscreened openings in the building. 



ELIMINATION OF INSECTS IN LEAF TOBACCO 



Since infested leaf tobacco is probably the most important source 

 of insects in the factory, great care should be exercised to eliminate 

 all living insects en route from the storage to the factory. In 

 cigarette tobaccos the hogsheads, cases, or bales are often subjected 

 to a steaming process in the presence of high vacuum for moist- 

 ening the tobacco prior to manufacturing it. This process, applied 

 before the covering is removed from the packages, raises the tem- 

 perature in the tobacco to 160° F. or above and kills all insect life 

 present. For packages receiving this treatment no fumigation is re- 

 quired, but precautions should be taken to treat the tobaccos immedi- 

 ately when brought into the factory. All tobaccos not receiving the 

 vacuum-steam treatment should be fumigated in atmospheric or vac- 

 uum chambers before being taken from storage. Under no circum- 

 stances should infested leaf tobacco be moved into the factory before 

 all living insects have been eliminated. 



PROTECTION OF FACTORY AGAINST MIGRATING INSECTS 



Adults of the cigarette beetle and the tobacco moth disperse in 

 large numbers from tobacco warehouses and other sources of infes- 

 tation. Records indicate that these pests may migrate distances 

 ranging from 1 to 15 miles from the point of origin. During the 

 emergence of broods in summer, thousands of the moths and beetles 

 may fly into a factory unless the windows, doors, and other open- 

 ings are properly screened. These openings should be covered with 

 20-mesh screen of standard specifications. 



In addition to screens, one or more suction light traps (fig. 

 13) should be installed on each floor of the factory. They should 

 be operated whenever the factory is running. The catches reduce the 



