Does UV kill insects?

Hello all,

I work in a seed cleaning and packing facility for the baking industry. The seeds are very susceptible for insects like mite, moths and beetles. We clean the product very well but there is still a change that the eggs of the insects, which are too small to see with the naked eye, stay in the product.

Now I was looking into UV. UV kills bacteria and fungus, burns human skin and blinds mice but would it kill insects when they are in their smallest state (larva)?

Here in the Netherlands there is no one with this kind of experience only with the disinfection of water.

Is there someone here with some experience with UV disinfection (of even killing insects)?

I don't have any experience, but I will say that insects in the larva stage are designed to withstand just about anything. 

Judging by this article I would say probably not

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3609379/

 

Hello all,

 

 

I work in a seed cleaning and packing facility for the baking industry. The seeds are very susceptible for insects like mite, moths and beetles. We clean the product very well but there is still a change that the eggs of the insects, which are too small to see with the naked eye, stay in the product.

 

 

Now I was looking into UV. UV kills bacteria and fungus, burns human skin and blinds mice but would it kill insects when they are in their smallest state (larva)?

 

Here in the Netherlands there is no one with this kind of experience only with the disinfection of water.

 

 

Is there someone here with some experience with UV disinfection (of even killing insects)?

 

Hi Dongilles,

According to Google, Yes it does.

https://askentomolog...types-of-light/

I don't have any experience, but I will say that insects in the larva stage are designed to withstand just about anything. 

Judging by this article I would say probably not

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3609379/

Thanks for this link. It shows that eggs get destroyed by UV, This was the past piece of proof I needed.

Hi Dongilles,

 

According to Google, Yes it does.

 

https://askentomolog...types-of-light/

thanks, this was the only source I found regarding actual UV and killing insects. 

all other google sources are about EFK as is they are UV.

Hello,

  I came across some articles that may be helpful.

http://www.nature.co...icles/srep07383

https://www.ncbi.nlm...cles/PMC239496/

https://www.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC3609379/

Hope this helps.

Hi,

UV in disinfection of water is a well established while standardized process, which can be validated.

I don't see a similar industrial application for killing insects even if insects can be killed by UV an lab scale. An UV application is easily disturbed and the effect is very dose dependent and individual.

Rgds

moskito