THE STRUGGLE AGAINST COCKROACHES

BIOLOGIC CYCLE
It varies in function of the kind and it’s important to know it for a correct pest control’s program. As it regards the German B.: the cocoon opens in 14-20 days; the development of the youthful form ( similar in the aspect to the adult individuals, but without wings - neanides – and subsequently with wing’s draft – nymphs- ) takes place in 1-2 months requesting 5-7 moults.
The cocoon of Supella Longipalpa opens in 40 days after its laying and the complete cycle lasts 3months in optimum conditions. Periplaneta Americana lays cocoon that open after 1-1,5 months. The cycle can vary in function of the temperature and the humidity from 6 months to 3 years.
The youthful stages develop through about ten moults.
For the quoted species the cycles, during the year, overlap and you find at the same time adults, neanides, nymphs of every age and also cocoons. You have to remember that the last ones are the forms more resistant to the environmental, physic, chemical agents and so to the insecticides.
The biologic potential of the German B. consists in 4-8 cocoons every feminine that contain each one 37-44 eggs, for a total of 148-352 descendants every feminine.
The numbers of heirs of a feminine of B. orientalis will be 128-144 leaked from 8 cocoon containing each one 16-18 eggs.

ETHOLOGY
The cockroaches live in gregarious manner and this behaviour seems to be solicited by pheromones, in fact called “ of aggregation”, held in the excrements. Moreover they have a special glands, in the abdomen, that secrete a nauseating liquid that serve as repellent for the others insects; these glands are named “repugnant glands” and the smell given off is perceivable from the man also in the places where there is an elevated concentration of cockroaches.
Generally they are active in nightly hours; see them during the day is sign of a great infestation. In fact they usually have a rest in the day time in obscure and repaired places. They instinctively flee from the light; in fact if during the night you suddenly switch on the light in an infested place you can see cockroaches, that are running about, rush in the most repaired and obscure zone of the room.
From the food point on view they are omnivore and they indifferently eat between the garbage or on the plates of the refined "nouvelle cuisine". They run quickly but, fundamental difference for a correct pest control, the German B. climbs up on smooth vertical surfaces and on roofs that have to be treated, while the B. orientalis cannot compete because it has
not suckers under the legs.

STRUGGLE’S SCHEME
Recognize, first of all, the infesting species.
Define the perimeter of the area where intervene to avoid dangerous leaks in adjacent area not infestated and for this reason not treated, that they will become “zone of refuge”.
Before to begin the disinfesting works you need to make a careful monitoring, using adhesive traps and/or spray with a hunting out function like for instance that one based on pyrethrum.

INTERVENTION’S PROTOCOLS

RESIDUAL STRUGGLE
• To choose the surfaces to treat and evaluate their extension.
• To prepare the surfaces: the excessive dirty could quickly deactivate the used product, nullifying the intervention’s plan.
• To carefully prepare the solution/suspension of use.
• To verify the equipment
• To operate follow the correct safety norms: to respect the indications reported in the label about dosages, warnings and use’s instructions ( pay attention to food, people, animals present in the setting); to use the adequate protection’s systems.
• To treat in centripetal sense that is starting from the external perimeter of the area following a “ploy of enemy’s surrounding”. To sprinkle the zones of the skirting board, the corners, the cracks and under and behind the furniture, machineries, sinks, etc.
• To intervene on the electrical systems with non-polar insecticides and, however, never to use for these watery solutions or insecticides containing water.
• If the infestation is caused by German B., to operate also on vertical surfaces, ceilings, clocks, etc. where insects could nest.
• To wait that the surfaces dry and to aerate the places before again sojourning you.
• To verify the results in a objective manner.
• To certificate always the treatments on special forms or on diaries of works

KNOCK DOWN STRUGGLE
In some cases is suggested, with the due precautions, a final nebulisation with a great demolishing charge.

TRAPS
To food or pheromone attractive of aggregation, with adhesive surface: they are useful above all for the monitoring and for the identification of the infesting kind, for the evaluation of the degree of infestation and for the individualization of the points of great concentration of the insects.

ENVIRONMENTAL RECLAMATION
• Environment’s cleaning.
• Correct management of food and garbage.
• Restructuring of buildings

TREATMENT’S CALENDAR
To intervene periodically with cadenced treatments in the structures to risk ( for instance hospitals, kitchens, restaurants, etc.). The interval will vary in function of the specie, of the seriousness of infestation, of environmental factors arranging the development of the cockroaches ( temperature, humidity, presence of food and ravines for the insects, etc.). You could make from 4 to 13 treatment during the year.
To make to coincide the dates of the treatments programmed with the periods of great proliferation that they generally coincide with the lighting and the turning off of the fittings of heating.

WHY TO INTERVENE: THE DISEASES
The cock roach is morphologically predisposed to pick up germs and dirty that it finds on its walk. In addition to carry the microbes with the body with the thorny legs and with the long antennas, it disseminates them in the environmental through excrements and regurgitations.
How many times we had had the dysentery after to have eat in public places, canteens or hotels not much clean? We have blamed the food , maybe not to much fresh but it ‘s more probable that it’s caused by the cockroaches that, during the night , they had transport some enterobacterium, remained on broad or not protected food or on tableware.
The situation could be worst: we could take salmonella.!
These are the pathologic forms more diffused by cockroaches, but you need to remember that in places to risk, like hospitals and communities in general, the biological potential of infection and contagions superior and more dangerous. We remember, in fact, that apart from the bacterium responsible of gastro enteritis ( Escherichia coli) and salmonella (Salmonella spp.) the cockroaches are vector of Staphylococcus responsible of abscesses.,
Pseudomonas that produces infections, Shigella, Proteus, Mycobacterium e even Pasterella pestis (relived on the insects of a flash point of plague in Hong Kong), for a total of 48 stems of pathogen bacterium.
They could, moreover, diffuse protozoans, nematodes e cestoids, dangerous for the man.

THE FLEAS
They are the more common infesting, after the cockroaches, in the urban environmental. The strayism overall feline and the presence of rats are the fonts of infestation of basements, attics, unadopted areas, deposits, etc.; from these animals the fleas could invade houses and adjacent offices.
The species related to the specific guests are the cat’s flea (Ctenocephalides felis), the dog’s flea (C. canis) and the rat’s flea (Xenopsylla cheopis). Every feminine produces during her life, that lasts also a year, many hundreds of eggs. The vermiform larvas live in the interstices of the floors, in the animal’s dens and between the hairs of the carpets; they camouflage covering themselves of rubbles, dust and garbage, source of food.
After three small level of growth, the larvas moult in nymphs, immovable and well camouflage, from which the ready adult fleas will go out to jump on a specific guest to suck its blood.
To make a careful cleaning to eliminate dust, rubbles, garbage and with these also eggs and fleas at a youthful stage. To use vacuum cleaners furnished of pouch of paper removable that will be destroy. To wash all surfaces that will treated again with the residual insecticide.
Also the fleas can transmit pathologies to the man and the animals, for example the taenia provoked by the Dipilydium caninum.

THE ANTS
The most common species that could penetrate in the houses, in the warehouses, in the hospitals and in the buildings in general are the followings:
ARGENTINIAN ANT
(Iridomyrmex humilis)
PHARAON ANT
(Monomorium pharaonis)
BLACK ANT
(Lasius niger)
RED ANT
(Pheidole pallidula)
CREMATOGASTER SCUTELLARIS ANT
They live in colonies (anthills) formed by one or more prolific queens and by many barren workers that occupy us of the management of the nest: they attend to the queen and the eggs and they feed the larvas and they take care of the pupas , they clean and repair the anthill , when it’s necessary, they pick and store the food.
Few workers, called soldiers and morphologically different ( they have a bigger head), occupy themselves of the colony’s defend.
The ants are present during the whole year in the heated environments and generally they are more invading in the spring and summer months, when the food’s searching is one of the main activity of and the colonies are in phase of development.
The swarming of the wings, prolific males and feminine that will base new colonies, takes place during the summer. The ants are omnivore; some species prefer sugary food, others protein substances, others stockpile of seeds, others breed aphids and cochineals for the honeydew. When they find a source of food , for instance garbage, they always arrive there following the same path.
The plan of struggle involves the individuation and the destroy of the nests. To this purpose you can use poisoned food bait that act when they are transported inside the anthill. This method is little efficient when the food’s availability is elevated and the food’s choice varies. The nests could be inside the infesting buildings, under the roofs, inside the walls, in the cracks, or in the external in the corner of the buildings or in the sidewalks, in the dung up areas, in the meadow or in the tree’s trunks and also in place far from the infestation. When the ants come from the external and the nests are individualized it’s necessary the use of
the residual struggle that serves to create provisional barriers and to solve temporally the situation even if with efficacy. Subsequently you should be valued by chance the techniques and the restructurings aimed to prevent their new access.
The presence of ants in the bordering environments is index of scarce hygiene.

THE SILVER-FISHES
The silver-fishes that you can find in the buildings are, as it’s reported in the table, classify in function of the kind of environment.
The first table is more frequent in the flats, in the warehouses, in the library, in the archives; the second one prefers the bakery and the kitchens. The sugary silver-fish is covered by silver scales while domestic Thermobia has a darker livery and with very long antennas. This insects make a sort of nuptial dance that allows an indirect fecundation of the feminine, without coupling. Every feminine of sugary silver-fish daily lay 1-3 eggs, for a total of 50-100 in her long life, from which neanides escape similar to the adults, but smaller. They must complete well 50 moults to become complete insects and this growth it will require at least 4 months.
The silver-fishes are active at night, so their number progressively increases unnoticed and also the committed damages.
They feed with all of what they find on their run privileging the amylaceous substances. They are attracted by the glue of the wallpaper and by the precious volumes. They also digest paper, cloth and skins; they can ruin in this way appreciated volumes, pictures, presses, carpets and wallpaper. The residual struggle is effective but it needs to choose products that don't alter the characteristics of the manufactured articles of value.

THE SPIDERS
The spiders aren’t insects, but they belong to the class of arachnids, that they distinguish themselves from the others because they have 4 pairs of legs and a body divided in two sections, that are head and chest welded and abdomen; moreover they are recognizable for the absence of antennas. They form the order of Araneidae that is the more numerous group of arachnids that count 30.000 species.
All produce silk that is not always used to create cobwebs, but it’s also employ to protect the eggs and the pups or to construe their den.
Moreover all are predators and they paralyse their victims inoculating the poison. The male are generally smaller than their partners and they are recognizable for the bulgy jaws.
In Italy there aren’t lethal spiders for the man even if in a limitated area of the zone of Volterra a relative of the Black Widow (Latrodectes Mactans) lives ; this local spider , so called spider of Volterra (Latrodectes Tedecimguttatus), it is recognizable for the 13 red spots on its black abdomen, it lives in the ground between the vegetation and if it bites the man it could cause a dangerous form of poisoning, often accompany with fever.
Commonly in our gardens we find the cruciform spider (Araneus Diadematus) That weave the typical circular cobwebs with spiral threads on a spokes. It winters, like more others representatives of this group, at the stage of egg, internally protect by small silk spheres. Pholcidae and Salticides frequent our houses: the first colonize the corners, where they construe great cobwebs, the second ones pass through the place with small jumps ( from this their name) searching their preys. The domestic Tegenaria, big shaggy spider, is instead common in the cellar where it realizes not adhesive cobwebs that serve to advise the predator of the passing of the victim. Warehouses, deposits and industries are often visited by arachnids that could find an ideal place for proliferate.
For their dietary regime, the infestations of spiders usually follow those of other insects. Also in this case it is suitable the residual struggle with products of contact.
Naturally it is advisable to perform before the treatment a suitable cleaning that involves the removal of the cobwebs.
The spider’s presence is index of scarce hygiene and environmental carelessness

THE LARDER BEETLES
In the houses are common two kinds of small coleopterans of carpets: Anthrenus verbasci and Attagenus pellio.
The adults live on flowers and they come into houses to lay (about a hundred eggs every feminine). The larvas, recognizable for the body covered by bristles (A. verbasci) and for the long tuft of hairs in the abdominal extremity (A. pellio), are responsible of the damages to the wool carpet, furs, down jackets, skin manufactured products and stuffs.
In optimal conditions the cycle develops in three months even if generally you have only a generation during the year.
Washings, polishing, usage of a vacuum cleaner disadvantage the development of this insects. During great infestations you make a residual struggle that guarantees a long protection. In this case also you need to chose the products that don’t alter the characteristics of the precious manufactures.

THE SCORPIONS
Also the scorpions are not insects and they belong to the class of arachnids. They have two appendixes transformed in pincers and a elongated abdomen terminating with a bent hook:
the sting.
The Italian scorpions belong to the Euscorpius’s genus and they aren’t dangerous for the man even if they could bite him. The more common species are the Euscorpius flavicaudis ( scorpion with the yellow tail) that is native of southern Europe and the similar Euscorpius italicus (Italian scorpion) that are smaller than the dangerous foreign kinds (already in near France poisoning scorpions exist as the Buthus occitanicus, yellowish and of superior dimensions); they measure in fact when are adults 3-5 cms (E. italicus) and 3-4 cms (E. flavicaudis) and they are of dark brown colour.
In the northern Italy, overall in Alto Adige you can find the Euscorpium germanus ( german scorpion) that is presents till 2.000mt of altitude.
The feminine are careful mothers that take care of their pups, always bringing their on the back till the pups are self-sufficient. They look like the adults and to grow they make many moults. They live in separated, dark and humid places; they can find an ideal habitat in cellars, below stairs, laundries, wood sheds of rural houses.
The scorpions are active predators during the nightly hours.
They feed with anthropoids that they catch with their pincers and they kill with the sting.

THE MITES
They are a subclass that belongs to the group of arachnids. If we want to be fussy we define the ticks , of which will speak subsequently, like mites in the order of Parasitiformes; while the mites , like generally they are thought, belong to the order of Acariformes.
The last ones have colonized every habitat: plants, soils, organisms, merchandised stored, and also domestic environments.
Between the mites that infest the parks we remember the Eriofides that form malformations of leafs and the Teranichides or red spiders that feed with sap of leafs discolouring them ( for instance Panonycus ulmi); they could always cover the vegetation with twinge, brilliant like silk web under which the population of mites live (for example Tetranycus urticae). The mites that live , like parasites and others soprofites, on others living beings are numerous. The guests can be innumerable, from insects like bees, ants, flies, to mammals and also the man: we remember that the mites of the scabies (Sarcoptes scabiei), the mites of harvest (Trombicula autumnalis) that cause the autumn erythem and the more innocuous Demodex folliculorum that live in the hair’s human follicles overall in the nose.
Finally in our house tiny tenants live: they are mites of the dust, small spiders with a globy body covered byn bristles. The Piroglifides, the most representatives of this group, develop in optimal condition I a month. The feminine lay a lot of about ten of eggs ( about one a day) during her lon life ( 100-150 days). From these larvas esapodes open that, in a small time, through a quiescent phase of two days, they moult in protonymphs with 8 legs, so in trito-nymphs and finally, always through a quiescent phase, they moult in adults.
In favourable environments the generations follow one after the others and they overlap.
The mites could cause allergic reactions of various entity (rhinitis, asthma, dermatitis).
Often we notice, when great infestations develop, the aggravation of these allergic forms.
Usually this coincide with the end of the summer and the begin of the autumn; in this period there are the optimal conditions for the development of the mites , that is an elevated humidity of the environment. (U.R. 60-90) and a great doze of warm (20°-25°C). Moreov er warm-humid environments could increase the presences of moulds and fungal spores, food base of some Glicifagides mites.
Also the representatives of the family of the Acaroids could be found in the dust, but in limitated measure, favouring like habitat the the foodstuffs. The struggle against mites is problematic and not standardizable.
You can intervene both acting on the factors that limit the develop and using chemical means. In the first case reducing the humidity and the room-temperature and eliminating from the locals curtains, carpets, soft toys, and others that can keep dust and mites. In the second case with environmental treatments of various kind ( demolishing and/or residual) after a careful evaluation of the surveyor.

THE TICKS
The ticks belong to the subclass of the mites and since the antiquity they represent a great danger for the man and for numerous animals because of various diseases that they could convey: Lyme’s disease, fever Q., spirocheates, arbovirus, babebiosis,etc. The most common ticks belong to the family of the Ixodidae (hard mints) and that of the Argasidae (soft mints of the columbiums).
The biological cycle (egg, larva, nymph, adult) could be complex interesting more intermediary guests, and the cycle span is very variable from few months to some years. These arthropods suckers of blood introduce some curiosities, the youthful forms, for instance, have six legs while the adults eight as every arachnid and, thing still more amazing, they succeeds in bearing long periods of fast, also more than one year, waiting to be able parastice their guest.
The struggle could interest great area overall where the sheep farming is carried out or where there is problem of dog strayism as well as in the urban area with a great infestation of pigeons. From this it achieves the necessity to hold under control the phenomenon of the strayism and to actively deal with the flocks of columbiums of our cities. As it regards the struggle in the infested or potentially to risk areas it is important to effect residual treatments with sprinklings of products with insecticide-acaricide activity having care to wet
well. An important practice results the intervention of removal of the excrements of pigeons and proceeding also with complementary interventions of pest controls. For the shelters by yelo or affection of animals you have to organise periodical interventions to because the diffusion of these parasites is interesting vast more and more areas with "epidemiological" chains more and more branched from the platforms of parking and rest stop of the highways (hard mints of the dogs) to the garrets of our houses (soft mints of the pigeons).

THE INSECTS OF THE FOODSTUFFS
INTRODUCTION
From the first dawn of the agriculture to the practice of breeding, the man finds himself in front of a problem not easy to solve, to be more precise that one connect with the conservation in the course of the time of vegetal and animal products. Practices like the dehydration and the salting solved the question in a practical level, hindering the degradation of fruits, pods, fishes, meats, etc. For others foods, like cereals, were not
necessary an “simple” storing, in containers like amphoras, vases, jars for the small quantities, deposits, and silos for the elvated productions ( already in the antique ancient Egypt there were special places to the maintenance of the cereals), to guarantee the temperature and humidity conditions necessary to keep these unchanged for the most time is possible.
Solved these problems, of not little account, others overlapped that they often frustrated the efforts done. It’s true that where the food is abundant the starving people meet, for this reason the insects, thanks to their physical characteristics (reduced dimensions, sharp mouth), could penetrate in the environments where there are foods and they could make a raid. Many attempts are made to try to stop these “invasions” and today also, in spite of the techniques of storing achieved, the match is open and you need to always be careful not to allow the insects to feed to our shoulders.

THE INFESTING SPECIES
The theme is wide because the devourers of food stuffs are numerous and the dietary choose of every species could be particular or also involve everything is edible, touching every possibility comprise in that range.
Moreover some insects will become consequentially infestator, for different reasons, for instance because of the way of penetration of the primary infestators are opened ( if a specie- see the table coleopterans- feeds itself only with broken seeds, it could easier develop if these are already pierce by an other specie previously installed) or because of they are predators or parasites of the kinds already infesting (bugs, clipping beetles, earwigs, hymenopterans, but also other arthropods what the diffused spiders), or also
because favoured by wrong techniques of maintenance (different bugs, stoneflies, that they are fed of organic deposits or they are eaters of moulds and fungus, they are also able to frequent the foodstuffs stored).
There we will treated the most frequent species of lepidopterans, dipterans, coleopterans, while we leave out, however quoting them in a table, the insects omnivore with a wide food variability, like the cockroaches, the ants, the silver-fishes, the crickets, the domestic flies and the wasps.
Finally we citing the mites , signalling the kinds that commonly could attack the foodstuffs, reminding that these small anthropoids don’t belong to the call of insects, but at that one of arachnids.

LEPIDOPTERANS
The following species have some characteristics in common. These are all of small dimensions, with opening wingspan around 1.5 - 2.5 cm, they are generally called moth and their larvas usually infest the merchandises producing burrs and brilliant like silk web. Often for the pupation they depart from contaminated food. They aren’t not good fliers.

PLODIA INTERPUNCTELLA
Vulgarly called bandage moth, it is recognizable for the front wings, those that in position of rest cover the body, which are cream coloured till mid and clearly reddish brown in the other half. It’s extremely widespread due to its polyphage: ait attacks flour, kernels of cereals and other seeds, pasta, sweets, dried fruit, cocoa, chocolate, pet food, and many other substances. It is the species most common in houses, in warehouses and processing industries. The biological cycle has a duration varying according to environmental conditions
(T, RH and food): under optimal conditions it takes place in just over a month, but may extend for several months. There are usually 1-2 generations year in the north and 3-4 in the south.

EPHESTIA KUEHNIELLA
It’s known as gray moth, it has the front wings, gray, mottled of dark grey; the back wings, not visible when laid, are whitish. It is the most frequent specie in mills, and its spread in other environments follow the bandage moth. It prefers mostly flour and bran of cereals, but it can also infest many foods which, seeds, legumes, nuts, spices, chocolate, pasta, cakes, dried mushrooms, milk powder, etc. .. The cycle takes place in 2-3 months in optimal conditions, you may have from 1 to 5 generations every year.

CORCYRA CEPHALON
It 's called the rice moth, but it often attacks numerous other foodstuffs such as cocoa products, chocolate, biscuits, dried fruit , flour, sesame seeds, etc. .. It 'a very common in the stocks of cereals and confectionery industries. The front wings appear of colour yellowish-brown, with slight scratches, the back wings greyish brown. The duration of cycle varies depending on environmental conditions for a month and a half to six months; so you can count 3-4 generations every year.

PYRALIS FARINALIS
It is the flour moth, largest of the other kinds and it has spots in the wings of brown colour. It’s a particular infesting, that generally indicates a bad state of preservation of foods: it attacks flour, grain, hay, fruits and dried mushrooms, especially when humid and mouldy. It is mainly found in deposits of grains, in mills and feed mills. The cycle lasts for a month and a half or two, under optimal conditions, but generally there is one generation every year.

CALENDAR OF TREATMENTS
To intervene when is necessary in function of data provided from the monitoring and of the inspections to the facilities and to the materials (important is to establish the thresholds for intervention). The standard timetable includes periodic treatments every two, four weeks in relation to climatic and environmental conditions (in respect of infestations of moths).

DIPTERANS

PIOPHILA CASEI
It is known as the cheese fly and its larvas, giving the cheese a particular taste, are still considered a gastronomic specialties in certain areas of our country. We remind, however, that the consumption of contaminated products can cause intestinal disorders, miasi, gastric ulcers and bacterial infections . The adults are small flies that also attend decomposing substances (waste, excrement, etc..) in this way becoming potential vehicles of pathogens. They lay their eggs on fat cheeses, sausages, smoked meats and fish, meat. The larvas are characterized by the particular mode of move if they are disturbed.
They catch the tail with the mouth, forming a circle, when they leave the tip triggered as tongs: they can jump up to 10 cm in height. The complete cycle ends in 2-3 weeks and it may succeed, especially during the warm months, numerous generations. The insect develops only above 10 ° C.

DROSOPHILIA SPP.
The drosophila are known for genetic studies of chromosomes, but also because infesting different processing industries. They are called in fact in many ways: fruit or vinegar or wine or must flies, depending on the substances attached. The adults are small flies about 3 mm, big red eyes. The larvas, of conical form as in other Dipterans, they develop on the surface of materials in fermentation. The cycle lasts 15 days under optimal conditions and you may have up to 20 generations in a year. The adult is attracted by light.

Lucile SPP., CALLIPHORA SPP. E SARCOPHAGA SPP.
They are very common and popular as blowflies of the meat: the first is metallic green, the second is blue and the third is gray with red eyes. The adults are often found on flowers, because they feed of their nectar, but they attend many substances such as decomposing corpses, excrement and waste and so are potential carriers of microorganisms including pathogens. They are infestators of processing industries and processing of meat and fish. They can also attack meats and cheeses. The cycle is completed in 2-3 weeks optimal conditions and they may have several generations in one year.

CALENDAR OF TREATMENTS
In this case also you usually work as required. In warm periods the treatments are performed
each 1-3 weeks depending on the cycle of infesting Dipterans.

COLEOPTERANS

DERMESTES LARDARIUS
It 's called larder beetles; it has small dimensions (6-10 mm), and it is easily recognizable because of colour black with a characteristic yellow ocher spotted band on elytrans. It attacks many substances of animal origin such as larder, sausages, meat and dried fish, animal feed, mature cheese, leather, etc. .. It is been found on peanuts and biscuits. The biological cycle lasts about 2 months and you can count from 1 to 6 generations annual. The larvas are very hairy and bristles and if they are ingested they can ulcerated the digestive system or cause allergies. We remember that the larvas mature, for the pupation to dig niches in the surrounding material (for instance wooden pallets) damaging it.

LASIODERMA SERRICORNE
The anobium of tobacco is a tiny (2-3 mm) coleopterans, oval, brown, with smooth elytrons. It flies easily. The larvas are yellowish, with soft, short, plump cuticles and they arrange curved like a C. They attack a multitude of food products: spices, seeds, tobacco, dried fruit, flour, candy, chocolate, cocoa, oilseeds, livestock feed, etc. .. In favourable conditions, the cycle ends in about a month (32 ° C and 75% RH). Usually you have 3 generations in one year. They have a remarkable ability to penetrate different casings and penetrate packaging apparently closed (for example boxes and bags).

ORYZAEPHILUS SURINAMENSIS
Commonly it’s called sylvanus. It looks like a minute (2.5 - 3 mm) coleopteran, of tight and
elongated form, with an showy and particular prothorax, with a pointed lateral prominences. It’s an infesting very widespread:it attends mills, warehouses, processing industries, and stocks of cereals. The larvae feed with various foodstuffs, kernels (only if broken or have been attacked by other parasites) of cereals, flour products, dried fruit, oil seeds, legumes, cocoa, tobacco coffee, spices, etc.. The adults are stoneflies. The cycle takes place in 20 days under optimal conditions (32 ° C and 90% RH), the time required to develop quadruples at 20 ° C. You may have from 2 to 8 gene rations in a year.

STEGOBIUM PANICEUM
The anobium of bread is similar to that of tobacco; it differs for the elytron that show the striated furrows. The larva is similar to that of other anobiums. It’a polyphage but it mainly attacks amylaceus products such as bread, pasta, biscuits, crackers, flour, bran. It can develop at the expense of drugs, spices, seeds, nuts and even from broth timber in place. The cycle takes place in 2 months under optimum conditions. You generally have 1 to 3 generations in one year.

TENEBRIO MOLITOR
It’s a typical species of mills from which the common name derives: tenebrio miller. It’s coleopteran large (13-18 mm), of brown colour. The larvae are tough, cylindrical, yellow-brown. It mostly infests flour, bran, wheat but it can also attack pasta, biscuits, flakes, oats, cake and vegetal residues. The presence of this insect is a sign of scarce hygiene because it presents a very long cycle in favourable conditions that lasted for 4-8 months. Usually take place 1-2 generations in a year.

TRIBOLIUM CASTANEUM
The tribolium is a small (3-4 mm) coleopteran of elongated form and dark brown colour; it’s good flier. The larva is yellow-brown, tough, a little longer as an adult. It’s an infestator of mills, deposits and industries of processing of cereals. In fact, it mainly attacks cereal grains, flours and derivatives. It’s also able to eat nuts and milk powder. The biological cycle, it can be concluded in less than a month and usually in 3. You usually have 4-7 generations every year. The infested flours for two or three months have unpleasant , acrid and pungent smell and a pink-brown colour.

SITOPHILUS GRANARIUS
The granary weevil, or coleandra oryzal, is a small coleopteran, under half centimetre, of brown colour with a distinctive elongated rostrum that identifies its common name. It attacks kernels of cereals, pasta, legumes, etc. .. The biological cycle lasts about a month under favourable conditions. The number of generations in a years is around 3-6.

CALENDAR OF TREATMENTS
To intervene as necessary in function of data provided by monitoring and of inspections to the facilities and materials (it is important to determine the threshold for intervention). The timing of intervention requires periodic treatments each 15 days or so, especially in the presence of multiple infections. If you know the insect infesting you operate in relationship to the length of the cycle in the current environment.

THE MITES
The mites are tiny arthropods, below the millimetre, but they can become evident when they infest stored products, because both because they come together in agglomerates, and because they deteriorate the substances attacked. Some species may be frequent in deposits, maturation cells and in food industries .
For brevity and clarity we list the most widely used in a table which also they are included in a systematic context.

CALENDAR OF TREATMENTS
To check the conditions for the development of the mites (temperature and humidity is high). To operate as needed: to use in an integrated manner the various products, alternating the active priciples(the capacity of this specie to "contract" or simple cross-resistance is known) and disinfectants with anti-mould power.

THE HABITAT
The insects of foodstuffs, follow closely the process of transformation of food, participating actively in the food chain. The infestation can even starts from the same field and then enter the deposits of raw materials. If no fit checks are made the insects can be exported to the relevant industries, that they will stop all the insects' entry.
It's good to reiterate that the attack may in any case starting from any weakness in the chain. It does not suffice, even if the necessary control of goods pending storage, but you always keep watch with an appropriate control systems, such as continuous monitoring or run preventive treatments to structures to prevent the stating of latent infection. In industries of processing multiple factors may also promote the establishment of other insects, attracted by new organoleptic characteristics of the substances worked. The most obvious course covers the cleaning of rooms and machineries from the residues of working. In fact, perculanting powder and liquid, if not removed properly are optimum sources of infestation for many insects, whose development is favoured by temperature and humidity which may be found in some rooms or even in specific areas of a room as close to machinery, furnaces, drying areas (micro-risk). The finished products then follow the route of the points of distribution where you must maintain the same procedures used in the
locals of transit: short periods of storage, immediate elimination of damaged, broken or obvious anomalies packeges, new cleaning food residues, monitoring, low temperatures and humidity, preventive treatments in the structures. The insects may finally reaching down to us, in our pantries, both through the finished products, but fortunately these cases are limited, and penetrating from the outside, attracted by the presence of food substrates.
It’s even more easier that already in houses they are present in the same small outbreaks of infestation, often latent, of polyphage insects, such as anobium of tobacco (Lasioderma serricorne) which can infest cigarettes and dried flowers and then switch to a multitude of food stored or bandage moth (Plodia nterpunctella), which can proliferate especially in the presence of packages open or poorly sealed. The dried fruit, such as nuts or peanuts can hide larvas(eg. of Ephestia spp.), whose adults periodically sfare threateningly.
Finally we remind that often the insects travelling with food, it is also true that they find space and shelter in the numerous ravines that have packages. This is supported by the behaviour of different species, in certain stages of their life cycle, leave the food substrate such as occurs during the stage of mature larva, when migrating in search of a safe place to turn into pupa. So you have to pay attention to boxes of cardboard, especially corrugated, to the folds of the bags of all kinds, to the wooden pallets (for instance silver-fish of lardus- Dermestes lardarius - is one of the species capable of digging into the wood to build a suitable niche for the pupation), but also the cracks of the floors and walls of the means of transport and local of transit.

THE DAMAGES
The annual losses due to intervention of parasites on stored food, hang about , for the FAO, around 9% in the most technically advanced countries, but they rise to 35% in nations still in development. The damage is only partially due to direct consumption, far more important are the losses derived from the deterioration and therefore the 'inability to consume contaminated food. These will remain marked by skins of insects, by their burrs, brilliant like silk yarns and excrements, as well as from microorganisms of any kind, sometimes also
pathogens, which act as a vehicle. In terms of health, you should also consider the possible allergic reactions that can cause contact and ingestion of mites, hair of silver-fishes and other residues of insects. In several cases, even light infestations can render unusable some foods, such as flour attacked by Tribolium spp. have an unpleasant smell and taste.
We have to remember the damage at the image and consequent health inspections that insects and larvas may cause when they are found in packaged products. Finally, if the workplace is hygienic, even from an entomological point of view, therefore free from insects, the staff will feel more motivated to work in an orthodox manner, maintaining an attitude of attention to the problem.

THE CONTROL: PREVENTION - MONITORING - STRUGGLE
The straggle against the insect of food must take account of certain specific factors, first of all the presence of food, which must reach the consumer free of residues and following the rules laid down by the law. Moreover, often in places of transformation, the almost constant presence of staff work adds.
Finally, from the application point of view, always in the processing industries, you can have high temperatures and humidity and layers of organic material derived from working, able to influence the success of chemical treatments. It 'so important, in these cases, use only a pharmacologic struggle as a last resource, instead using a variety of methods and means integrated (Integrated Pest Management), which does not exclude the use of chemicals, which can lead to achieving our purpose. You must, therefore, act to limit as much as possible to get infections.
Prevention involves attention to the problem in this regard.
• Designing environments to test to insect.
• Restructuring of. environments with a same aim: double automatic doors, web with thin mesh applied to windows and other openings, sealing of cracks and crevices of various kinds and so on (restructuring every place has to be evaluated case by case).
• Cleaning of transit locals with relative order in the arrangement of goods, which. should always be inspected: placing on benches raised from ground and spaced from one another and from the walls, to avoided in any case open packs and loose material.
• Preventive treatments (using Medical Surgical Devices) of the. locals running programs that periodically provide the short deadlines "all empty".
• Inspection of incoming goods.
• Controls of production with. the filth-test (it indicates the presence of insects or parts of them, and other foreign matters such as hair, feces of mouses, and so on. in processed food). If often the solutions that cover the first two points result inappropriate, much can be done about the cleanliness, the order, the prevention and the controls.
The monitoring also is another form of control that is usually used for preventive work.
The use of traps for catching infesting insects that use as attractive the pheromones, food, light, or colours (individually or sometimes associated) it serves to evaluate the variations of presence of certain species in a environment. It 'a simple and practical method in all locations (warehouses, processing industries, mills, supermarkets, shops, etc..) and it can to act quickly and accurately. Indeed, in a room with many different foods, you can often easily individuate an outbreak of infestation in species from starting from the species which an increase was found. Also for this reason it is useful to recognize the infesting insects the foodstuffs. The market offers several types of traps for different needs. The fight can be implemented with physical means (some of which are difficult to achieve) or chemicals.
The first includes the 'use of:
• heat attained by the simple heating of food or microwave equipment or with the use of radio frequencies.
• cold, the refrigeration is often used for storage of. cereal grain; but remember that a lowering of the temperature capable to determine a deviation from the optimum of development of the species dramatically slows down the growth of an infestation.
• centrifugal force, there are special machines. called "Entoleter" that are used for flour and
in wheat grain.
• vacuum. is a fairly expensive method which is used for the storage of finished products .
• controlled atmosphere is practiced in particular in cereal silos replacing. oxygen with nitrogen or carbon dioxide.
• light, use of phototropic traps..

The means include chemical insecticides / acaricides and fumigants. In the broadest sense the use of pheromones for massive capture or to cause sexual confusion (difficulty meeting between males and females during the fertile period) can be understood as a chemical means of struggle but in this context is only mentioned.
We remember first of all that the use of chemicals, in the presence of food, should be always done by skilled and competent staff.

The insecticides / acaricides to apply to the structures are called, according to legal standards, Medical Surgical Devices (MSD), while those ones who are distributed on the products themselves are called Health Devices (HD), which for instance include chemical products for agriculture. First, it must be said that reading the label it due act so as to keep them accurate. As information of a general nature, these products are evaluated for their mechanisms of action on insects (by contact, ingestion, asphyxia) or according to the residuality (maintaining the effective action of the formulation over time) and to the demolishing (capacity for immediate action).

Very important are the means of distribution and we quote:
• the sprayers: a liquid forced out. from a nozzle involves a single liquid phase;
• the atomizers, nebulizers, thermal-foggers, ULV, which are, in synthesis, a flux of air, cold
or hot, where are sprayed micro drops (two phase: air water).
The size of the droplets released is very important, especially since most are small as are suitable for demolishing actions, in the ambient air and the more care should be taken adrift (from 5 to 20 microns). For larger diameters, from 50 microns or more, the action is directed to treatments on surfaces with residual effect.
Equipment capable of delivering calibrated mix (from 5 to 50 microns) allow them to act on both surfaces in the air, for this reason it is important to get this information from the manufacturer.


THE SYSTEM H.A.C.C.P.

PLANNING:
• CRITICAL. ANALYSIS OF THE WHOLE
• DETERMINATION OF CRITICAL POINTS AND ON PRIORITIES
• SPECIFICATION OF CRITERIA: PREVENTION, ELIMINATION OR REDUCTION OF RISK
• MONITORING’S METHODS
• IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERVENTS
• CONTROL. OF RESULTS
• FLOWS INFORMATION (DATABANKS).
• ACTIVATION OF. IMPROVEMENT ‘S PROCESSES

THE HAZARD ANALYSIS CRITICAL CONTROL POINT (HACCP)
The system H.A.C.C.P. was proposed at the National Conference on Food Protection " held in
1971. The goal was and is to prevent the emergence of problems of hygiene and health at all stages of the food chain: the flow of products from the origin to the consumption, it must slide into a process as free as possible from risk of contamination, therefore, subject to specific controls: in fact the H.A.C.C.P.
At methodological level the team of HACCP must evaluate all the critical control points (for example in the transport, inn the storage, in the processing) that may cause risk compromising the quality of food health and hygiene. We must then assess the priority of the solution (at the point of view of preventive care) and then plan the steps needed.
The aim is to gradually reduce the number of critical points and to keep under control those who do not can be eliminated. In this context, you underline the importance of verification (sampling and analysis of samples from suppliers, warehouses, production processes, means of distribution to retail outlets and inspections and monitoring for control of all circles), of the frequency of these checks in function of severity and the probability of risk and, not negligible, of the charge the examination involves. Certainly the system requires a cultural attitude addressed to quality and considerable skills of coordination, however the commitment is repaid by the optimization of various processes, by the greater security of production and by the acquisition during the time of an improvement of our "image".
Some aspects of H.A.C.C.P. deserve our attention: first, the system is not static, but it can involve together with the technical and scientific discoveries and the behavioural improvements that the system favours. We must not forget that the objective is to prevent, eliminate or minimize any risk in any process that is examined.
In the context of the microbial world, the assessment is basically entrusted to appropriate hygienic protocols, and the relative periodical monitoring. As regards the problem of parasitic infestations, it is important rely on measures of pest-proofing, on targeted applications(safe and effective), with careful and regular inspections every stage of procurement, production and distribution. A key part of H.A.C.C.P. is the documentation of the procedures performed and the establishment of databases testify in time the focus on quality. It is in this context we would like to recall the items of contact with the rules of self-evaluation and safety of work environments (for example DL 626/94), the ISO 9000 and the guidelines dell'IPM (Integrated Pest Management).
Certainly the system H.A.C.C.P. well goes to the logic of continuous improvement: the Quality is a way in climb and not a ladder, perhaps consisting of high steps. Obviously the example is not always fitting but simply it expresses the important visual concept.

CONCLUSIONS
The table of intervention is proposed to suggest the guidelines, in a much diversified context such as
including the food chain, starting from the state of hygienic state of our suppliers to the detailed analysis of
food materials in every stage of production and transportation. It 'important to use constant attention to the
problem, using all forms of primary prevention, not forgetting the chemical interventions to the structures for
preventive aim and obviously for the purpose of control, in which case we must try to implement interventions
targeted as much as possible.