ICE Chips

Q. We are experiencing an issue with cigarette beetles at our cheese plant. Our plant is quite large and has been around for about 40 years. Several of these insects are being captured in a room held at 65°F. They are also being caught in other warmer places in the plant, as well as outside. However, the highest numbers of beetles are in the refrigerated space. This activity is not making sense to us and we are at a loss for ideas.

A. The problem you describe has several possibilities. Since you have identified the outside of the plant as having activity, it would indicate that some of the cigarette beetles may be entering the building through open doors, ventilation systems or other openings into the structure. This is certainly an obvious place to start your search. If the exterior population is large, then the integrity of the building and the pressure to keep insects out is higher.

One unique aspect of your situation is that you are a cheese plant dealing with cigarette beetles. Though it may not be all that common, there are materials such as whey powder and spices used to manufacture cheese products that might attract this insect. Though some of the materials may not be high on the list of preferred foods, they are capable of sustaining a beetle population.

In your description of the issue, you noted the age of the facility. Over time, many facilities undergo some fairly radical changes involving process changes, space utilization, etc.

For example, the area of the plant that is currently showing insect activity may have been a dry blending area where cereal-based products attractive to cigarette beetles were used in the past. It was not uncommon to use compressed air as the sole means of cleaning dry equipment and structures, so you could very well have a significant accumulation of materials no longer used for production deeply embedded in the structure. Someone who has worked in the plant for several years, or perhaps a retiree, would be a great resource to better understand what materials were used in various areas in the past. As with most investigations, it is that little bit of missing information that clears up the mystery.

Some of the new data tracking systems, such as spatial-analysis programs designed for this purpose, would help you pinpoint the areas with the truest high levels of activity and therefore reduce your search grid to a much narrower area. These systems are excellent at interpreting the data and converting it into a visual representation of the area.

Be aware that correcting this problem may mean gaining access into wall voids or older fixtures where product capable of supporting these insects has collected. This is not an easy fix or one that has a very short-term cycle. This could take quite a bit of time and effort to eliminate from your facility.

Do you have a question for Al St. Cyr? If so, e-mail him at astcyr@aibonline.org.

The author is Head of Food Safety Education, AIB International.