Light at the command of IPM programs

In a Comprehensive Pest Management scheme (MIPIPM), trapping is one of the basic tools for obtaining optimal results, as long as it is applied correctly. It should not be forgotten that the effectiveness of the programs will be measured by the lack of observation of pest evidence and activity and the pest control system should be based on

a hazard analysis and evaluation of associated risks, for which an in-depth study and trend analysis must be carried out, which includes (with variations according to the scheme):

• Pests, number of each species captured/recorded in a period of time
• Deficiencies detected.
• Detection or capture method.

• Location (facility area, device number or key)
• Time of year.
• Infestation evolution study
• Report of infestation levels in each period of time.
• Pest activity levels and effects
• Preventive measures proposed and/or applied

• Indicators of the effectiveness of preventive measures.
• Proposed and/or applied corrective measures
• Indicators of effectiveness of corrective measures.
• Action plan and monitoring.

With this information, you should be able to predict whether a population will grow or decrease, building and using various tools such as:

• Life tables. They summarize the birth and death rates of organisms at different stages of their lives.
• Survival curves. Graphs that show how much of a population survives from one age to the next.
• Pyramid of sex and age. It is a “snapshot” of a population at a time, showing how its members are distributed across sex and age categories. To obtain this information, samples can be taken or systematic collections of pests can be made, for which the use of traps is usually an excellent alternative, if used properly. Among the different options and types of traps, the so-called “light traps” are usually the most useful, but often wasted. At first because it is assumed that these devices have the function of “catching insects” and with that they hope to “reduce the population” by placing the greatest number of traps possible. This derives from the origin of these traps, which date back to the beginning of the last century when a prototype of a precursor to electrocute insects attracted by a conventional lamp was published in Popular Mechanics Magazine (October, 1911).

From this, various modifications and proposals have been made, which have had

some success among consumers. These traps have the limitation that over time, the remains of the electrocuted insects adhere to the grids, forming a layer of tissue that reduces their efficiency. Another drawback is the unpleasant odor given off by the electrocution of medium or large insects. Of course, they are not recommended in the food industry because, although they have been developed

traps with “controlled electrocution”, there is always the risk of dispersing insect body parts on food or raw materials. The attraction that light exerts on insects has been recognized throughout history. From Aeschylus, about 500 years before our era, to King Sudraka, 1000 years later, who made reference to the attraction that a flame can cause a moth to end up incinerated.

This perhaps led to the use of flames to attract and control crop pest insects, mainly lepidopterans. Near the end of the 19th century, Lubbock observed a low sensitivity to infrared light in ants, but the opposite to ultraviolet light; which has been reinforced in numerous subsequent investigations, with a greater or lesser peak of response in different insecque the control itself, since the insects trapped in them represent only a sample of the universe of the infestation. With this perspective, its placement becomes even more strategic, its location being more advisable in places with risk of pest entry, rather than in large quantities uniformly distributed, as is still usually done.

go of attraction, most insects will be attracted to a light trap from a distance of 30 meters, house flies have a slightly shorter range of 6 or 7 meters. This does not mean that traps have to be placed at intervals of 7 to 30 meters, but rather that they must be located at possible entry points and strategize to find the traps.

may attract insects to exposed food or onto surfaces exposed to food. Since the trap lamps emit light in the range around 365 nm, in order not to compete with them, it is recommended that lights at the bluest end of the light spectrum (450 to 500 nm) be used for indoor lighting, as in the case

THE ATTRACTION THAT LIGHT EXERCISES ON INSECTS HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED THROUGHOUT HISTORY. FROM AESCHYLUS, ABOUT 500 YEARS BCE, TO KING SUDRAKA, 1000 YEARS LATER, WHO MADE REFERENCE TO THE ATTRACTION THAT A FLAME CAN MAKE A MOTH END UP INCINERATED. cough. That is why current traps use lamps at a wavelength lower than 370 nm, corresponding to ultraviolet, to better capture insects. Currently the usefulness of light devices is to measure the effectiveness of a control program, more

There is also often discussion about the height at which these traps should be placed, which should be between 100 and 200 cm, or more or less at eye level, since it is the height at which most insects fly and, on the other hand, it makes their inspection easier. With respect to the best interception points. Some third-party auditors have specific guidelines for setting traps a certain distance from an open food product. Regardless of auditing standards or codes, it is not good practice to place a trap in an area where mercurial light shines. It may also be useful to use illumination in the range of 575-600 nm, which corresponds to that of high-pressure sodium vapor lamps. Mercury vapor lamps, which are 112 times more attractive to insects than sodium vapor lighting, should be avoided. In this way, the traps are a line of defense, using the same attraction that brought the insects to the facility. It has been shown that viruses and bacteria can survive exposure to ultraviolet light outside a narrow range around 264 nm in the bodies of dead insects, outside of that emitted by light from traps. For this reason, the collection of adhesive plates must be done frequently to avoid contamination by microorganisms. It is also recommended that the traps used in an industrial warehouse, office or other site are all of the same model and power, so that the results of the quantification and identification of the insects are comparable. Since insects trapped on glue plates are of little use for a reference collection, it is often useful to make additional collections by

other methods. However, the use of glue reduces the risk of parts of the insect or dead insects being carried out of the trap through air movement or disturbance of the trap. Aluminum and stainless steel (unlike plastic) insect light traps are virtually non-porous and can be cleaned and disinfected effectively. The use of fragile plastic in food processing is highly discouraged by GFSI standards. Where the use of plastic is unavoidable, breakable plastic should be included in the plant's breakable plastic register and should be periodically inspected for safety. Typically, these devices do not require registration, as long as they do not contain any pesticide products. Its regulation is aimed at avoiding false or misleading claims, especially about the effectiveness of the devices. If a manufacturer makes claims about a device, it must have scientific data to back up the claims. Preferably, the lamps should be turned off during cleaning and inspection, but if someone attempts to clean or replace the lamps during UV emission, eyes could be exposed at a distance of approximately 50 cm for one minute per lamp fixture (< 30 μJ cm-2 per trap). If this person attended up to 100 traps on a plant, the total ocular exposure would still not reach the daily exposure limit of 3 mJ/cm-2 (3000 μJ/ cm-2). According to the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection [ICNIRP, Phys. Phys. 87 (2): 171 – 186 (2004)], the conservative direct exposure limit is 1.0 J/ cm-2 (1,000,000 μJ cm-2).

It is important to remember that UV-A light (between 320 and 400nm), although it has less energy than UV-B radiation, is more penetrating into the eye and is capable of reaching the retina and damaging it and even producing cataracts. Therefore, it is highly recommended to use protective lenses, preferably clear, in accordance with the European standard EN 1836:2005+A1:2007, transmittance level 2 or 3, or the North American standard ANSI Z80.3-2001. In conclusion, the use of insect attraction devices with UV lamps is a very good tool to evaluate insect infestation, which constitutes one of the fundamental aspects of a professional and sustainable insect control program, beyond the programmed and indiscriminate application of pesticides. This, if the scope of the same is well known and the ideal quality is sought to achieve the best results.