Insect pests cause major damage to stored grain and foodstuffs, reducing the products' weight, quality and market value. Eight spices commonly used to add flavour and colour to food were evaluated, singly and in combination, for their contact and fumigant toxicity, repellency and effects on progeny development against the cowpea weevil Callosobruchus maculatus F. and rust red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum Herbst. The powders of large cardamom, turmeric and ginger showed contact toxicity against the two test insects. Green cardamom powder was found to have fumigant toxicity against adults of both insects. Clove powder at 1.5 g/50 g dose showed 100% repellency against adults of T. castaneum. The powders of large cardamom, cinnamon and clove caused complete inhibition of progeny production in C. maculatus and T. castaneum at a dose of 5 g/100 g. A 1:1 mixture of green cardamom and turmeric showed both contact and fumigant toxicity against C. maculatus, while a mixture of clove and large cardamom showed repellency and inhibited progeny development in T. castaneum.
