Arthropods are a documented cause of occupational allergy in cereal stores. Since the current allergenic risk of various arthropods in grain stores is not known, we evaluated its extent using data from the Czech Republic (CZ). We surveyed 514 grain storage units for pest composition and density. Recalculating literature data we established 4 density dependent classes of pooled mite "allergy-risk level" (ARL) in stored grain: (i) safe-ARL: 0 mites.g(-1) grain, (ii) low-ARL: up to 1 mite.g(-1) grain, (iii) high-ARL: from 1 to 5 mites.g(-1) grain, (iv) danger-acute asthma-ARL: higher than 5 mites.g(-1) grain. Farmers (15) were questioned for pest taxon-related pesticide treatments. Mites constituted the largest group of collected pests (92%) followed by psocids (5%), beetles (3%) and moths (0%). 60% of mites belonged to known allergen producing species; the most abundant were Acarus siro, A. faris, Tyrophagus putrescentiae and Lepidoglyphus destructor. Grain samples belonged to the established ARL classes as follows: (i) safe-ARL: 37% (ii) low-ARL: 53%; (iii) high-ARL: 6%; (iv) danger-acute asthma-ARL: 4%. The enquiry among farmers revealed that almost no pesticides were targeted solely to control mites. This study suggests that mites represent, due to their allergenic potential, density and frequency, the most serious source of allergens in stored grain in CZ. However, the medical aspect of pest control--such as allergy avoidance strategy--is overlooked since grain feeding insects were mostly chemically controlled, regardless of their relatively low density and allergen production in comparison with mites.

Crop Research Institute Prague Czech Republic

The relationship between taxonomic classification and applied entomology: stored product pests as a model group

DNA barcoding, species-specific PCR and real-time PCR techniques for the identification of six Tribolium pests of stored products

The effect of stored barley cultivars, temperature and humidity on population increase of Acarus siro, Lepidoglyphus destructor and Tyrophagus putrescentiae

Detection and identification of species-specific bacteria associated with synanthropic mites

Bacillus thuringiensis var. tenebrionis control of synanthropic mites (Acari: Acaridida) under laboratory conditions