Khapra beetle found in nappies, biosecurity battle to keep exotic pest out

Australian Chief Plant Protection Officer, Dr Gabrielle Vivian-Smith, provides an overview of the Khapra beetle.

Transcript

00:00Capra beetle is a serious pest of stored grain and dried food products.

00:04If it was to establish in Australia, it would have a significant impact on our grains, rice,

00:10and nut industries. It would also have a significant impact on our international trade.

00:15Capra beetle directly feeds on grain, which can result in major stored grain losses.

00:21Infested grain can become contaminated with beetles and cast skins and hairs from larvae,

00:27which can also be a health risk. Capra beetle is a pest that hitchhikes in shipping containers

00:34and it can survive in containers and packaging for a number of years. Because of its size,

00:38it can remain undetected under floors and in cracks and crevices, in shipping containers,

00:44and in layers of cardboard. We have strengthened the measures we have in place to manage the

00:50evolving risk that capra beetle poses for Australia. This includes more stringent measures to manage

00:57the risk of capra beetle in imported containers and goods. Industry, importers, and the public can

01:04also do their part by following our imported conditions and reporting any potential pest risks.