Integrated Pest Management Strategies for Cigarette Beetle Control in the Tobacco Industry – A Mini Review

The cigarette beetle (CB), Lasioderma serricorne (Cole-optera: Ptinidae), is a major insect pest to the tobacco industry worldwide. This insect is also a major pest of raw grains such as rough rice, and postharvest foods like certain high-value grain products like pet food, animal feed, breakfast cereals and various dried herbs and spices. Pest control methods and systematic integrated pest management (IPM) strategies are required for the CB in the tobacco industry to prevent economic damage to cured tobacco leaves in storages as well as finished products in retail and distribution chains. This paper presents an overview of the problem of CB infestation in the tobacco industry and describes and discusses strategies and IPM practices for managing the pest.