With harvest coming to an end, grain farmers might want to take a little bit of time before knocking off for the holidays to inspect and sample stored grains for insect and fungal presence. (Better to find out about it now than to find out about it in March!)

This is a dangerous year for fungus, because fungal infections do better in wet conditions and this was a very wet year for most farmers. Fungi can infect grain while the crop is still in the field, or it can happen after the grain is in storage. Because fungi are microscopic organisms, it’s quite easy for there to be a low level of infection in storage areas or on equipment and buildings; if storage conditions are less than optimal, this small initial infection can quickly explode, using your hard-won crop as the feedstock.

Insects can get into grain bins through very small holes, and many species can survive from year to year by living off debris in the bin from last year’s harvest. Insects also get in from the field, coming along with newly-harvested grain. As with fungal infections, insects need water – so keeping grain bins dry can put a real crimp in their life cycle and expansion. Insects can also be slowed down or stopped by lowering the temperature in the silo – insects generally don’t feed or breed unless the temperature is 70 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. They tend to stop having any activity at all if temperature gets down to 50 degrees.

It’s a good idea to inspect for insect life and fungal infection regularly. Look at stored grain every one or two weeks if the weather is above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. If you know your grain is in good shape and the temperature is freezing outside, you can inspect every month or so while the cold weather lasts – it’s not likely for insect or fungal population to expand rapidly under those conditions.

Insects like to live near the surface of the grain where they can stay cool and comfortable when it’s warm out, but in the winter months or during cold winter, they’ll move deeper into the bins to stay warm. That can make it a little tricky to inspect thoroughly, unless you like swimming in wheat, but there are probe traps available that you can insert deep into the bin and leave in place for a week or so. The trap, when retrieved, will let you know what the insect activity level is down inside the bins.