On the Infestation of Stored Product Pests in Candy Store (Confectionery Retail Store) in Yokohama

Abstract

Out of 432 pieces of chocolate examined, 1.2% were found to be infested with stored product pests. The pests consisted of the Indian-meal moth, Plodia interpunctella, the saw-toothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis and the mushroom mite, Tyrophagus putrescentiae. The infestation occurred more often in autumn. It required four months or more until new infestation would occur in candy store (confectionery retail store). It became clear that the fauna of the house dust of candy store (confectionery retail store) had two significances of the infestation, i. e., some of them would infest the confection as the source of contamination while some of them would remain in the house dust as the indicator of the infestation of the confection.