Dermestes maculatus Degeer infestation impact on market loss of dried fish in Kwara State, Nigeria

Dried fish vendors located at three markets in Kwara State, Nigeria were surveyed and Dermestes maculatus Degeer-infested specimens of dried Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus, Heterobranchus bidorsalis and Oreochromis niloticus were analyzed in the laboratory. The dried fish species were exposed to D. maculatus larvae and adults for 35 days at ambient laboratory conditions that coincided with their developmental cycle after which the level of damages were recorded. The vendor survey showed that the Ipata market had the most dried fish vendors within the age of 20-30 years (46.66%) and that 60% of the fish vendors had, atmost, 20 years of experience. The weight loss in dried fish due to D. maculatus infestations (larval, adult) was H. bidorsalis (22.66 ± 1.20g, 29.00 ± 3.05g), O. niloticus (14.33 ± 2.96g, 20.00 ± 0.58g), and C. nigrodigitatus (14.00 ± 1.53g, 15.00 ± 1.15g) in decreasing order. This suggests that the development of cost-effective methods for pest control in dried fish would greatly reduce market loss of product for dried fish vendors from D. maculatus and other pestiferous species, making the dried fish business more profitable in Nigeria.