Inert Dusts

Abstract

In 1966 at the International Rice Commission meeting, Dr. Lyman Henderson of the United States Department of Agriculture challenged stored-product entomologists to conduct bold and imaginative research to find insecticides that are specifically toxic to insects in minute amounts and relatively non-toxic to mammals. Dr. Henderson’s prediction almost 3 decades ago that “new research on biological and physical methods of control may bring about simple, effective, safe, and economical preventive and control measures of a nature beyond our present conception” has now come true. Several innovative, reduced-risk or biorational and physical methods for stored-product insect management have been discussed in detail in other chapters of this book. This chapter provides an overview of another physical control measure, inert dusts, and discusses its role in stored-product protection. Inert dusts include all dry powders of different origins that are chemically unreactive in nature.