CERIS (2004) lists the primary seed and cereal grain hosts: Avena sativa (oat), Cicer arietinum (garbanzo), Glycine max (soybean), Hordeum vulgare (barley), Lens culinaris (lentil), Oryza sativa (rice), Pisum sativum (garden pea), Sorghum bicolor (grain sorghums), Tri ticum aestivum (wheat), Vigna unguiculata (cowpea), and Zea mays subsp. mays (corn). Preferred animal feeds and concentrates include: rolled and ground barley, ground corn, ground dog food, rolled oats, dried orange pulp, ground rice, and cracked and gr ound wheat bran. Nuts that may serve as primary hosts include: Arachis hypogaea (peanut), Carya illinoensis (pecan), Juglans spp. (walnut), and Prunus dulcis (almond). Grocery commodities that sometimes serve as hosts include: bread, dried coconuts, cor nmeal, crackers, white and whole wheat flour, hominy grits, baby cereals, pearl barley, and wheat germ. Larvae can feed, but not fully develop on seeds of Medicago sativa subsp. sativa (alfalfa), noodles, Phaseolus lunatus (lima bean), and raisins.

Preventative measures: T. granarium is of quarantine concern because its spread is mainly through international trade. Inspection at ports and entry points provide an effective way to restrict entry of this pest. The Diagnostic Protocol for the regulated pest T. granarium prepared by the EPPO (European and Mediterreanean Plant Protection Organization), in english and french recommends means of positive identification and detection of the insect pest. The protocol also includes information on description, impacts, host range, geographical distribution. The Pest Risk Assessment of the khapra beetle conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine (USDA, APHIS, PPQ), addresses the likelihood of the beetle becoming established in the United States, the economic consequences of khapra beetle infestation in the US, and available information regarding pathways, probability of detection, and marketing/export consequences of infestation in the US.\r\n

Physical In India, the use of deoiled neem (Azadirachta indica) seed powder mixed into wheat seemed to be an effective and cheap method to control the pest in stored wheat (EPPO, 2004). Heat treatment has proved to be very effective. The treatement involves a 30-minute exposure at 60oC (140oF) which has given a 100% kill of all stages of the khapra beetle (Ismail et al., 1988 in CERIS, 2004). Mortality of larvae begins at 42.5oC (108.5oF); complete mortality however required 8 days exposure at that temperature (Battu et al., 1975 in CERIS, 2004). Diapausing larvae are more resistant to high temperatures than non-diapausing larvae. It has been reported that some natural mortality of larvae occur in stores due to warming caused by activities of khapra beetle itself. In storage facilities trapping proved to be a useful surveillance tool using pheromone and larval traps. Treatment with fast electrons, using a linear accelerator, could provide an efficient method of controlling khapra beetle in store grain (CERIS, 2004).

Chemical: The most effective treatment is methylbromide fumigation. The control of the species requires higher concentration of methyl bromide because different developmental stages and physiological states (diapausa) exhibits different sensitivity. Replacement of methyl bromide (CH3BR) with phosphine, carbondioxide, carbonyl sulphide, sulfuryl fluoride or other fumigants and their combination are being investigated. Surface treatment is not reliable because of the unique ability of larvae of spending longer period of time hiding in cracks and crevices in facultative diapausa (inactive state). Khapra beetle is known to show signs of tolerance or resistance to phosphine and malathion. Facilities that can not be fumigated may be sanitized and treated with a surface application of insecticide. Malathion applied repeatedly is currently approved for control of khapra beetle infestations in structures and surrounding surface areas(CERIS, 2004).