The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has challenged residents across the State to find out what insects are lurking in their pantry, as part of the Department’s its first ever Pantry Blitz.
Chief Plant Protection Officer at DPI, Satendra Kumar said the biosecurity blitz aimed to identify pest insects which could be introduced into NSW in a wide variety of ways.
“Unwanted insect pests can stowaway as hitchhikers on cargo including plastic beads, nuts and bolts, timber flooring, foodstuffs and white goods, and on rare occasions slip past detection at the Australian ports,” Dr Kumar said.
“If they find their way here, a wide range of these insects would love to make a home in your pantry and can live very happily and often undetected in stored food items such as dried fruit, cereal and flour,” he said.
Dr Kumar said Pantry Blitz participants would be sent a non-toxic glue trap to install in their pantry and be asked to take a photo and send a report at the end of each week of the program.
“The program will provide DPI with information that will be vital to our efforts to keep NSW free of devastating insect pests and you’ll be playing your part in protecting our State’s primary industries,” he said.
“Australia is relatively isolated from the rest of the world, which allows us a certain amount of freedom from damaging pests and diseases found in other countries, but as trade and travel increase, so does the likelihood of exotic pests arriving.”
Dr Kumar said the Pantry Blitz would begin in January and would see experts at DPI analyse each report, identify any pests found and provide information on the results straight to participants’ devices.
Further information on the Pantry Blitz can be accessed at this PS News link.
