Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) is a major pest of coffee worldwide that
is believed to be capable of chewing through the plastic bags used to ship coffee.
However, a test of H. hampei escape ability from plastic coffee shipping bags has
not been performed. In this study, nine bag treatments were tested to measure H.
hampei escape rate from shipping bags. In addition, the activity following seven
drying treatments was measured to determine if mechanical drying methods reduce
H. hampei survival in infested coffee prior to shipping in escape-proof bags. This
study determined that H. hampei can chew through and escape from some plastic
shipping bags, but adequate drying methods may be useful in reducing survival
prior to shipping. These results may have quarantine implications for shipping
unroasted coffee and other commodities in plastic shipping bags that contain
potentially infested materials
