Pantry
Sawtoothed Grain Beetle: Adults dark brown, about 1/10 inch long with a flat body enabling penetration of many “sealed” food packs without chewing holes. Adults and larvae crawl actively and eat flour, breakfast cereals, sugar, nuts, dried fruits, dried meats, etc. Infestations make food unpalatable.
Confused and Red Flour Beetles: Adults reddish brown, about 1/8 inch long. Red flour beetle can fly and is more common in South. Confused flour beetle does not fly and is more common in North. Common pests of flour but also eat cereals, beans, nuts, dried fruits, chocolate, and even spices. They are among the many pantry pests which secrete chemicals known as quinones which taint food and may harm people.
Drugstore Beetle: Adults light brown, about 1/10 inch long and able to fly. Found throughout the U.S., eating almost anything, including bread, flour, cereals, and even red pepper. Often brought into homes in bagged pet food but able to bore through most packaging and infest other food.
Rice Weevil: Adults reddish brown, about 1/8 inch long and able to fly. Females bore holes in grain kernels (rice, corn, etc.) in field crops and food stores and lay a single egg in each kernel. Hatching larvae eat and develop within the kernel. Emerging adults also eat cereal grains, as well as beans, nuts, and even grapes. Mostly found in the South, where buildings can be invaded from nearby fields.
Spider Beetles: Adults oval-shaped, brownish, 1/10 to 1/6 inch long, resembling small spiders but having 6 legs. Adults and larvae scavenge on animal and vegetable matter, including cereals, flour, bread, nuts, dried fruits, spices, feathers, fur and rodent droppings. They will even chew carpets, books and wood. Preferring damp locations and resistant to cold, they often infest unheated warehouses, basements and outbuildings, even in the North.
Indian Meal Moth: Adults have 3/4 inch wingspan. Outer section of forewings reddish brown. The whitish larvae prefer dry foodstuffs, including corn meal, flour, nuts, dried fruit, powdered milk and bird seed. Larvae leave a mess of silk webbing and frass on food. One of the commonest food pests throughout the U.S.
What You Can Do Against Pantry Pests?
Pantry pests eat the same food as people, as well as many other organic materials that we don’t eat. Once they get into our homes they can thrive and it is important to understand how they might enter. Some pantry pests can live outdoors feeding on crops or scavenging in nests of wild birds and rodents. Such pests may actively enter nearby homes, particularly where entry is easy or where they are attracted by warmth, lighting or food odors. However, most pantry pests are passively introduced on infested merchandise. In both cases, homeowners can take steps to reduce pest entry. Also, by routinely following good food management and sanitation practices, the impact of any pantry pests which enter can be kept to a minimum. In fact, homeowners can probably do more to prevent and control pantry pests than any other group of pests. Nonetheless, it has been estimated that the average American unknowingly consumes 1 to 2 pounds of insects or insect fragments each year in food. This is equivalent to eating about 500,000 small, food-infesting beetles - so there is clearly scope for better pest management. Here are 10 measures you can carry out against pantry pests.
