Apr 3, 2012 – Bugs Ask, Where’s The Beef?
QUESTION:
What can you tell me about insects and mites that infest cured meats? What are the best control measures? Thank you.
ANSWER:
The best control method for these kinds of pests, without a doubt, is going to be proper storage of the cured meats. We certainly are not going to spray the meat to either kill the insects or mites or to prevent arthropod pests from getting on it, so keeping them off in the first place is the fix. If the meat is being cured in a smoker then getting insects into it during the curing process is unlikely, and once cured the meat can be properly stored to keep out all pests. If the meat is being cured using salt to remove the water it may be kept in some exposed setting where the humidity and temperature are controlled, but pests like flies, beetles, and mites can enter and infest the meat. The room or chamber used for this style of curing should be cleansed of any pests to begin with, if any are present, using only pyrethrum to fog to area, as this will leave no residual to worry about. The room also needs to be kept sealed to keep out any pests.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
What can you tell me about insects and mites that infest cured meats? What are the best control measures? Thank you.
ANSWER:
The best control method for these kinds of pests, without a doubt, is going to be proper storage of the cured meats. We certainly are not going to spray the meat to either kill the insects or mites or to prevent arthropod pests from getting on it, so keeping them off in the first place is the fix. If the meat is being cured in a smoker then getting insects into it during the curing process is unlikely, and once cured the meat can be properly stored to keep out all pests. If the meat is being cured using salt to remove the water it may be kept in some exposed setting where the humidity and temperature are controlled, but pests like flies, beetles, and mites can enter and infest the meat. The room or chamber used for this style of curing should be cleansed of any pests to begin with, if any are present, using only pyrethrum to fog to area, as this will leave no residual to worry about. The room also needs to be kept sealed to keep out any pests.
One of the flies that does infest exposed meat in storage is called the Skipper Fly in the family Piophilidae, also called many other names such as ham skipper, bacon fly, bacon skipper, cheese fly, etc. The small, shiny black adult flies deposit eggs on the meat and the maggots feed on the meat. The name "skipper" is given due to the maggot's remarkable ability to somehow leap into the air when disturbed, as much as 6 inches according to some resources. The maggots also manage to survive being eaten when people eat the infested meat, and if they remain in the intestines for very long they may attempt to burrow through the intestinal walls, causing a variety of uncomfortable to serious health problems.
Beetles that feed on cured meats include the Larder Beetle (a kind of Dermestid) and a couple of beetles in the family Cleridae called the Red-legged and Red-shouldered Ham Beetles. The adult beetles may feed on the cured meats but the larvae do the most damage, feeding either on the surface or just below it. If these larvae are found in cured meat they can be removed by trimming off the surface of the meat and then properly storing it to prevent new invasions. Eating these insects would not cause health problems other than the paranoia of knowing you just ate a bug. But....... meat is meat.
Several kinds of mites also feed on cured meats, including grain, cheese, and mold mites, all of which look very similar. They are almost microscopic, creamy white to pinkish in color, with short legs and long hairs sticking out here and there all over their body. You would need good magnification to be able to see them clearly and to properly ID them. The female mite can deposit up to 800 eggs on the surface of the meat, and the feeding is restricted to the surface, so if a person were inclined to do so he could wipe all the mites off the meat and still eat it. Or, a light coating of vegetable oil will kill all the mites and eggs on the meat. The infestation from these tiny mites can get so massive that it looks like a coat of dust is on the surface of the meat and the dust is moving around.
So, control is to cure the meat in a manner and a setting where the pests are not present and cannot enter, and then to store the meat properly to exclude all pests in the future.
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