M 3 ea AMS--58 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE © 
Agricultural Marketing Service 
Marke ving Research Division 
AN INSECT PREVENTIVE PROGRAM FOR PEANUT WAREHOUSES 
Prepared by 
Biological Sciences Branch 
Stored=Product Insects Section 
Farmers! stock peanuts are usually infested by a number of stored- 
product insects if held in storage for any extended period. In commer- 
cial practice it is the custom to shell peanuts during the winter fol- 
lowing harvest. The shelled nuts are used before insect infestation 
becomes a problem, or are stored under conditions not favorable to infes- 
tation, as in cold storage. 
Beginning with the 1952 crop, the Government price support program. 
has been carried out through loans to producers and cooperatives on 
farmers' stock peanuts, and relatively large quantities of these peanuts 
have been held in storage through the summer following harvest. Many 
peanuts have been damaged by insects while in storage, lowering their 
quality. In some instances the damage has rendered the peanuts inedible. 
The usual practice that has been followed when farmers' stock pea- 
nuts have become infested is to fumigate the warehouse, or individual 
lots of peanuts, Often the warehouses are not tight enough for success- 
ful fumigation, or for other reasons fumigation has not been satisfactory. 
In addition, fumigation destroys only those insects present, and reinfes- 
tation can readily occur if nearby sources of infestation are prevalent 
and the peanuts remain in storage for a considerable period. 
Therefore, in 1953, investigations were begun to study the manner in 
which farmers! stock peanuts are damazed, and methods by which infestations 
might be prevented or held to a noninjurious level. A preventive program, 
developed from these studies, is presented herein. 
Insects Causing Damage 1/ 
There are two groups of stored=product insects which attack farmers! 
stock peanuts. The first of these is composed of several species of moths, 
Y all insects mentioned here are illustrated and discussed in USDA 
Farmers! Bulletin 1260, "Stored-Grain Insects", available upon request. 
Agriculture = Washington June 1955 
