Rochester Exterminating - Tough on Pests. Easy on You.©
Grain Beetles
How to identify
The term grain beetle includes a wide variety of beetle species which infest stored grain products. They are commonly referred to as pantry pests or stored product pests. There are over 80 species of these food infesting beetles known today. Most are relatively small in size, about 1/8 inch long and red, brown to black in color. Beetle larvae are the immature wormlike stage which is often found feeding in or on food products. Larvae are often cream to brown in color and small in size.
Grain beetles contaminate food products:
- 10% of the world’s grain production is damaged by grain insects.
- Infested foods are contaminated by live adults and beetle larva.
- Foods are tainted by caste larval skins and beetle wastes.
How to limit conditions which attract or support grain beetles:
- Keep susceptible food products such as grains, flours, cereals, nuts, dry pet foods and candies in tightly sealed glass, metal or plastic containers.
- Keep storage cupboards clean and completely free from spilled product.
- Keep seams and cracks in storage areas free from spilled product.
- Clean up spilled products from on or underneath storage shelves.
- Rotate stored product to limit the time it sits before use.
- Product over six months old is often more likely to have beetle problems than fresher products.
Rochester Exterminating is tough on grain beetles:
It is necessary to accurately identify the species of beetles present, the food products that are infested and all the conditions which are contributing to the infestation in order to eliminate a problem with grain beetles. It usually requires considerable expertise to eliminate an established infestation of grain beetles through careful inspection and thorough treatments.
