Method for the prophylactic treatment of a food product silo

A method for preventing an increase in population of parasites in a food product storage silo without significantly increasing the mortality of the parasites compared to their mortality in the absence of food,

• said method comprising:
• emptying a food product storage silo comprising walls,
• wherein food product scraps and/or dust are deposited to the walls of the silo after emptying the silo;
• after emptying the silo, applying to at least part of the walls
• a layer of a mineral selected from the group consisting of sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, trona, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, dolomite, sodium sulphate, potassium sulphate, calcium sulphate, magnesium sulphate, magnesium oxide, and mixtures thereof,
• to cover said food product scraps and/or dust present on the walls of the emptied silo thereby producing a barrier between parasites and said food product scraps and/or dust deposited on walls of the emptied silo, such that the food product is inaccessible for the parasites,
• the mineral being in the form of particles having an average diameter of at most 70 μm,
• the mineral being applied as a layer comprising at least 10 g and up to 200 g of the mineral per m2 of wall wherein the layer additionally comprises a co-formulant of the mineral, the co-formulant being selected from the group consisting of:
• a silica, a diatomaceous earth, an alkaline-earth metal silicate, a clay, a montmorillonite, a zeolite, and mixtures thereof and wherein the parasites are Tribolium confusum, Sitophilus oryzae or Ephestia kuehniella.