Monitoring lesser mealworm infestations in poultry facilities is an asset to the overall management program by alerting producers of a rapid rise in numbers or to determine if control measures were effective following a treatment. One method routinely used in studies to evaluate the efficacy of insecticides is the tube trap. This trap is simply a 10inch (254 mm) piece of 1 1/2 I.D. (38 mm) schedule 40 PVC
pipe with a hole drilled on each end (to stake the pipe to the floor to prevent movement by birds). Corrugated cardboard is rolled up and placed inside the pipe. A few traps will be staked to the litter floor for about one week then removed. The corrugated cardboard is removed from the PVC, and adults, larvae and pupae are counted. Keep track of the number of adults, larvae and pupae (usually very few pupae are collected). By monitoring weekly or twice monthly with this trap, producers can detect a rapid increase in numbers or a change in the stage structure of the population. Other monitoring methods include use of “sentinel” insulation boards placed on walls or posts
for routine monitoring of larval entry holes. Simple counting of lesser mealworm during the evening can also provide an indication of the population