Pantry Beetles
Tenebrionidae, Curculionidae
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SIZE
1/8in to 1/4in long
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COLOR
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BITE OR STING
No
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WINGS
No
COMMONLY MISTAKEN FOR
SOLUTIONS FOR PANTRY BEETLES
General Information
Pantry beetles are usually brought home with food that is already infested. They can contaminate other dried food in your home if it is not stored in air-tight containers. Find out how to help protect your family’s food by getting rid of these unwanted pests.
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It is estimated that there are as many as 1.5 million different beetle species around the world1, but only a dozen or so infest our food.
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Pantry beetles are commonly called grain beetles or flour beetles. Other names for these pests include rice weevil, sawtoothed grain beetle, red flour beetle, drugstore beetle, and cigarette beetle.
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These beetles are small (about an eighth of an inch long) and are usually brown or reddish brown in color.
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Their general body shape may appear to be long and thin to slightly round.
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Many pantry beetle species can fly, but most often they are seen crawling on shelves, in cupboards, or in the food itself.
Details
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Pantry beetles may be found indoors infesting dried food.
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These pantry bugs eat cereals, spices, flour, pet food, and other packaged foods.
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Common signs of infestation include seeing beetle larvae in food containers or a stray beetle or two in the pantry or cabinets.
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Pantry beetles want food and a place to lay their eggs.
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These beetles consume and contaminate the dry packaged foods that they infest.
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Find and remove any infested pantry items. Be sure to bag and seal any infested items and throw them away outside the house right away.
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Clean your pantry thoroughly, taking special care to remove any dried food spills on shelves and in cracks.
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Store food in sealed, air-tight containers to help prevent pantry beetles from infesting your family’s food.
