2008 Volume 23 Issue 2 Pages 39-45
Air curtains have frequently been used in various food-processing plants to prevent insect invasion from outdoor environments. This study was conducted to evaluate the inhibitory effect of three types of air curtains against flying insects or wandering arthropods in field tests. Very few small flies such as Chironomidae or Sciaridae passed indoors through the air curtains during the daytime or nighttime. For large insects, however, Sarcophagidae and Calliphoridae passed through the air curtains in the daytime, and Lepidoptera and Coleoptera passed through the air curtains in the nighttime. There were relatively fewer wandering arthropods such as Orthoptera, Formicidae or Porcellio scaber than flying insects, and the air curtains' effect against wandering arthropods seemed to be lower than against flying insects. The cross-wise air curtain was more effective than the cross-wise circulating air curtain or the down flowing air curtain, especially against flying insects during the nighttime.
