(Published in May 2004)

Staging the War on Buggy Seed
When it comes to keeping bird seed fresh, the Indian meal moth is enemy No. 1
By Scott and Ann Springer

No one wants to be the bad seed in the family. And in the bird seed manufacturing family, no one wants the reputation of having bad seed. Unfortunately, bird seed has a lot of opportunity to become contaminated as it travels from its origination to its eventual use in consumers’ backyards.

Stage One: Infestation
According to Kent Brauer, owner of Triple K Seed Farms in Sidney, Nebraska, bird seed can have problems from the word go.

"There are two problems with storing grain: moisture and bugs," Brauer says. "If millet gets wet, it will stain and will look unappealing to the customers; they won’t want it."

Moth infestations can be extremely costly to the seed market. "Ninety to ninety-five percent of complaints we get from the bird food industry are about the Indian meal moth," says David Mueller, the president of Insects Limited, Inc., based in Westfield, Ind. "This insect is the No. 1 pest of bird food."

A female Indian meal moth, commonly known as a "miller," can lay 300 to 500 eggs in her 4- to 6--week lifespan and could potentially produce 3 or 4 generations of moths each year. The Indian meal moth can be identified by its distinctive rust-colored scales on the rear half of its wings.

"One female could produce millions of offspring in one summer because she has a short lifespan and high reproductive cycle," Mueller says.

Moisture problems coupled with moth infestation can be a devastating combination for seed. "Females look for a desirable place to lay eggs and they look for a food odor from rancid material. The retailer may not know which bag of seed is the oldest, but the female moth knows," Mueller says.

An important fact to remember about such infestations is that they pose no real health danger. "There are no health effects on birds or humans—they are just a nuisance," Mueller says. "We think of insects as pests and we don’t want them in our house or food, but in reality, some birds eat moths or larvae for food."

Stage Two: Prevention
Nipping bug problems in the bud is essential to staving off a potential threat. The longer it takes for the seed to travel through the manufacturing process before it reaches the bird feeders, the more potential it has to become spoiled by Indian meal moths.

"The longer you keep bird seed, the more they grow up and re-infest in the seed," says James Sargent, the directory of technical support and regulatory compliance for Copesan, a pest management company located in Brookfield, Wis. "Potentially, when you buy bird seed you are bringing it home in one stage or another."

Brauer takes a lot of precautionary steps to fight off moisture problems. "We try to get our grain off the ground as quickly as possible to keep it dry," he says. "If we do have a moisture situation, we dry it to remove the moisture with heat and air."

Bauer says his staff uses an extensive air circulatory system to keep grain at a consistent temperature and moisture level.

Another tactic in fighting infestation has been the use of a pheromone line of products to attract the male moths. Insects Limited released a new product line in March that attracts and captures female moths, too.

"Catching males only lets you know they are there, but catching females reduces the population," Mueller says. "This is the most exciting news in 22 years because it’s a non-toxic product that uses scent, which is what the moths have used for years and years for communication."

Packaging has also reduced the possibility for seed to become bug-infested. "Caged bird food in particular is packaged now with a nitrogen flush that takes the oxygen out of the bag," Brauer says. "It extends the shelf life, but it is very expensive."

A large majority of bird seed, particularly wild bird seed, is still packaged in paper bags that are sewn shut. "Caterpillars are so small they can fit through a hole the size of the pinhole used to sew up the bags," Sargent says.

"New technology has made a difference," says Kathy Blackadar, owner of Fin, Fur, and Feather in Hanover, Mass. "It’s much better than it was 10 to 15 years ago. The whole line has improved from shipping to packaging. It is more automated and streamlined."

Stage Three: Education
Once the product arrives in your store, the mantel is then passed on to you as the retailer to get the seed to the customer in top condition.

It is important to order small quantities of seed, inspect seed upon arrival for warning signs, discard any suspect seed, and then rotate your seed often.

"If you open a package and it is starting to turn, throw it out," Blackadar says. "Don’t be pennywise. That is foolish; just get rid of it. It will cost you more in the long run if it spreads."

Early signs of buggy seed include visible webbing, powder, and residue on the seed or the packaging. "If you have suspect product, you can put it in freezing temperatures around 0 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 to 6 days to kill off moths and their eggs," Mueller says.

Blackadar also recommends practicing inventory management. "Make sure you take out the old stuff first before you put in the new," she says. "It is always a juggling game to make sure the shelves are full but rotating."

Consumers may come back to your store citing problems with seed. "Sometimes I will get people in and say, ‘When I started I was getting birds and now I haven’t gotten any. What am I doing wrong?’" says Rob Blackhurst, co-owner of Backyard Birds in Salt Lake City, Utah. "I tell them to keep it fresh and then they come back in and say, ‘My feeder is working. I got the birds back.’"

Educating your consumers about preventing seed problems is a key to making your business thrive. "Like any other business, you want to buy things from people who are knowledgeable so you can get the best product for the best price and know how to properly use it," Blackhurst says.

Blackhurst advises his customers to buy seed in smaller quantities, store it in low temperatures and in sealed containers, and to test seed by smell. "If it doesn’t smell fresh, it probably isn’t good anymore," he says. "Ask them, ‘How old is it?’ and then start with fresh seed."

Ultimately, everything you do to keep your bird seed fresh aims to achieve one goal: produce satisfied customers. "The great thing about independent stores like ours is that people come in and we answer their questions and customers really appreciate it," Blackhurst says. "Birds can bring so much to a person’s yard with life and movement and song. It’s a great hobby."

Scott and Ann Springer are freelance writers based in Southern California.