Corn

Corn Fumigation & Grain Protectants

Across the greater Midwest, corn drives grain markets, animal nutrition, and ethanol production. Protecting stored corn is essential to maintaining, test weight, feed quality, ethanol conversion efficiency, market value, and regulatory compliance.

FSS provides corn-specific pest management solutions for farmers, grain elevators, feed mills, and ethanol plants.

Common Corn Storage Pests

Identifying the pest species is critical. Some insects respond differently to protectants or fumigation programs, and resistance management must be considered. Below is a list of common pests to which corn is vulnerable.

Corn Grain Fumigation Services

When infestations are active, fumigation is often required to eliminate all life stages inside the grain mass.

FSS supports corn facilities with:

Phosphine fumigation for bins and silos
Recirculation systems for large corrugated bins
Temperature-based fumigation planning
Monitoring and documentation
Compliance-focused execution

Proper sealing, dosage calculation, and monitoring are essential. Sub-lethal fumigation rates can lead to resistance — a growing issue in stored corn across the Midwest. We support on-farm bins, commercial elevators, feed mill storage, ethanol-plant grain, and export shipments.

Empty Bin Preparation for Corn Storage

Before harvest, empty bin preparation is critical. Recommended best practices include complete cleaning of residual grain and fines, exterior vegetation control, residual insecticide treatment of bin walls and floor, sealing assessment, and monitoring equipment verification.

A clean, properly treated bin significantly reduces early infestation risk. FSS is there to help you in this process by providing these services to you:

Empty bin fumigation
Structural inspection
Residual treatment recommendations
Monitoring programs

Supporting the Corn Industry

FSS is actively involved in organizations supporting grain producers and processors, including the Grain Elevator & Processing Society (GEAPS), the International Association of Operative Millers (IAOM), and the National Grain & Feed Association (NGFA). We understand the operational challenges facing corn handlers across the Midwest and Corn Belt.

Shop Corn Grain Protectants & Fumigants

Prevention is often the most cost-effective strategy. FSS supplies grain protectants labeled for corn, including Gravista® Insecticide, Diacon® IGR & Diacon®-D IGR, and Centynal™ EC + PBO-8.

Visit our online store to view available products.

Visit Our Store

Talk to a Corn Protection Specialist

Visit our Ask the Expert page to connect directly with a fumigation or grain protectant expert.

Talk to a Corn Protection Specialist

Talk to an Expert

Plan it yourself with our free calculators.
Label-based application rates, exposure periods, and order quantities in minutes.

Grain Protectant Calculator Fumigant Calculator

Fumigants are Restricted Use Pesticides — a current applicator license is required to purchase.

Frequently Asked Questions

What insects infest stored corn?

Stored corn is attacked by the maize and rice weevils, lesser grain borer, Indianmeal moth, and sawtoothed grain beetle, among others.

How do I keep stored corn insect-free?

Bin the corn clean and dry, aerate to hold it cool and dry, apply a protectant for longer storage, and monitor so you can act before insects spread.

When should corn be fumigated?

Fumigate when monitoring shows live insects in the grain, or before extended storage of at-risk corn; phosphine controls all life stages and then aerates off.

Can I use grain protectants on corn for feed?

Yes. Several grain protectants are labeled for corn, including feed corn; follow the label rate and use our calculator to size the application.

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