Plant essential oils for the management of two serious stored pests in Egypt

The potential of four essential oils (Lavender, Catnip, Geranium, and chamomile) was evaluated against larvae and adults of confused flour beetle and red flour beetle under laboratory and store conditions. Geranium oil gave the highest cumulating mortality percentage 75.3% and 87.9% after 7 days of treatment in the state of T. castaneum and T. confusum, respectively. Geranium oil exhibited the highest repellent activity followed by Lavender oil. The ovipositional repellent efficiency of oils on foams and coverage gunny sacks displayed several methods of action by decreasing the egg numbers, which nearly repressed the progeny emergence percentages and high malformation percentages of tested insects. The oviposition was inclusively inhibited. The treated foam with Geranium or Lavender oils and covering gunny bags provided effective protection of the stored wheat.