Maize and cassava are the most important staple foods in West Africa. These foods in particular are becoming more and more infested by the Larger Grain Borer a storage pest which has recently been introduced and which causes exceptionally high losses in the farm-level storage of maize and cassava. More and more farmers are now trying to control the pest by using chemicals for storage protection These are referred to as insecticides, and have been used by farmers in storage protection for a long time now, although many are still not holly informed on efficacy, use, costs or risks Losses in maize storage cannot be avoided by using insecticides if the stored produce is not sufficiently dried or carefully sorted, if the the hygienic conditions are lousy and the storage place is not suitable Insecticides do not work miracles The target group for this information leaflet comprises staff of agricultural extension and plant protection services and non-governmental organisations in rural Africa south of the Sahara in addition it is to make manufacturers and sellers of insecticides and trade organizations think about improvements