On this page, you will find tips from the Extension Specialists from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the University of Tennesee about building grain bins.  This is a work in progress - information will be added when it becomes available.

Thoughts from Kathy Flanders, Extension Entomologist, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, that relate to reducing future insect problems:

Spreader arms are a good idea because they keep all the fine particles from ending up in a central core. There are all kinds of bugs and molds that really appreciate a nice core of fine particles.

Automated aeration systems help cool grain down as fast as possible to temperatures below which insects can't grow

Anything that helps seal cracks and crevices is good. A tight bin keeps insects out and fumigant gases in. This includes such things as rubber gaskets between rings, sealing bolt holes with a washer or gasket, etc. Thinking about and adding these things as a bin is constructed can pay off later on by reducing insect infestations and allowing for cheaper, safer, and more effective fumigations.

Automatic stirrers make life difficult from an IPM point of view. We can't add thermocouple wires or automatic bug counters to bins with those sweeper arms. And with high prices of grain and the larger bins, thermocouple wires and automatic insect counters are looking more like necessary equipment rather than luxuries.

Some of the new wide eave designs will make it impossible to seal the bin in preparation for fumigation, unless the top of the grain is tarped to keep fumigant gases in. If these systems are equipped so they can move grain from one bin to another, this may not be a fatal flaw. If a bin became infested with insects, the infested grain could be moved from that bin to another, and treated along the way with an approved grain protectant to kill any of the insects that are wandering around the grain mass.

Larger concrete slabs are better than slabs that are just big enough for the grain bin - this is because insects like to hide in cracks and crevices. Gravel or crushed rock is better than plain old dirt surrounding the bins, but it is more likely to let weeds grow and to harbor insects than a nice concrete slab. Asphalt paving around the concrete pads would be better than gravel.

For the big bins, a spiral staircase leading up to the top hatch is a great idea, as opposed to a vertical ladder.  This is because it will be easier to climb up to the top, carrying various grain probes, sieves, and insect traps.  It is important to scout for insects in the bins every month.  Climbing a ladder one handed while carrying stuff in the other gets old quickly.

If bins are interconnected, putting "shut off valves" between them as they are constructed will allow an individual bin to be sealed off in order to be fumigated.

The seal between the base of the bin and the concrete pad deserves careful attention. I see lots of bins that have deteriorated seals that allow insects in, water in, and allow fumigant gas to escape.

Thoughts from Russ Patrick, Extension Entomologist, University of Tennessee, that relate to reducing future insect problems:

Use of digital thermometers located at different levels of the grain bins will allow producers to know if the grain is having hot spots. These thermocouple wires can be installed after the bin has been erected. They can be tied in to a remote computer for easy monitoring and updating.

A leveler to keep the grain mass level can be installed.  It is similar to a stirrer.

Preparation of a pit using concrete to auger out the grain as it is dumped into the
pit is a good idea. The pit must be cleaned out after the bin is filled.

More information is available on the Alabama Cooperative Extension System Stored Grain IPM page.