To estimate changes in insect populations, research technicians sampled grain from elevators in Kansas and Oklahoma and from trucks that deliver it to terminals. They found that most of the wheat trucked to the elevators is relatively free of insects. In Watonga, Oklahoma, Allen's counterpart is Stan Miller. All three practices create an environment in which beneficial insect parasites can thrive and attack the stored-grain insect larvae. The cost of early cooling is less than fumigation, currently estimated at 1.57 cents per bushel for storage in steel bins and 2.35 cents per bushel for storage in concrete bins.
Most grain elevators have thin wire cables to check the temperature of the grain inside.
These cables run through the center of the bin from top to bottom. Sensors are positioned every 6 feet along the cable for measuring temperature. These data will be welcome news for the grain-storage industry. One-third of the storage bins included in the project have aeration fans to cool the grain, but controlling devices are needed to shut the fans off when the outside air temperature is insufficient to cool the grain, according to Hagstrum. These tiny wasps don't pose a threat to grain quality because they're completely removed during ordinary grain cleaning.