How to Get Rid of Grain Beetles Infestation
Being the most common pest in homes, grain beetles can be found in places where we store food, like pantries and storage areas. These pests are well known to infest flour, cereal, rice and other dry goods. It becomes a difficult task to deal with them once they infest and start multiplying.
If you want to keep your food storage safe and want to eliminate grain beetles, you should understand all about these bugs.
What Are Grain Beetles?
Grain beetles are common to infest the food products we store. The most common ones are grains and cereals. While there are a few types of grain beetles, two of them are most common in households.
These two are merchant green beetles and saw-toothed grain beetles. Both of them can’t fly but are experts in moving quickly from one place to another. Since weevils and grain beetles have many similar physical characteristics and feeding habits, people often get confused between them.
What Do Grain Beetles Look Like?
Grain beetles are usually 1/10” to 1/8” in length. These have a very small but flat body. They are brown in color and have saw-like edges in their thorax. While they can’t fly, they move very fast.
Where Do Grain Beetles Come From?
The reason why grain beetles come into the house from infested food products bought from stores. Since they thrive in food storage places, they might be present in packaged items before ever getting to your pantry. Once in, they spread quickly to find other food.
Other than the packages, grain beetles enter houses through tiny holes and openings around doors and windows. Other species get to plants and soil; they may also find their way inside through an opened door or window.
Ways to Deal with Grain Beetle Infestation
Once grain beetles invade your pantry, you must take immediate action to prevent them from infesting further. Here are effective ways to deal with them:
1. Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth is among one of the first things that you must try. It is a natural powder that kills grain bettles by hydrating them. Using this powder eliminates their population drastically by sprinkling it into infested areas. To get the best results, you can sprinkle it on dry places where you have noticed beetles before.
2. Essential Oils
Certain basic essential oils such as peppermint and clove have natural repellent effects on grain beetles. Soaking a few cotton balls in a few drops of the oils and placing them in the infested areas will keep the bugs away. A homemade spray of water, dish soap, and essential oil can also be utilized within pantries and areas where food is kept.
3. Neem Oil
Neem oil is a natural insecticide and acts as an interrupting agent for grain beetles’ lifecycle. Applying neem oil with water spray in infested areas can efficiently kill adult beetles and larvae. Since neem oil is safe around food, it can be directly applicable in pantries and storage areas.
4. Bay Leaves and Cloves
Bay leaves, and cloves produce strong odors unbearable for grain beetles. Separating grains, flour, or rice in containers will be helpful to prevent infestation. These natural repellents guarantee protection for the long term without harming the quality of the stored food.
Types of Grain Beetles
Different species of grain beetles infest stored foods. It will help you a lot to manage them effectively if you understand them and their physical characteristics.
1. Sawtoothed Grain Beetle
It has a sawtooth appearance with teeth-like projections along its thorax. These insects are commonly found among stored food products such as cereals, flour, and dry fruits. Saw-toothed grain beetles do not have wings but move very fast, spreading from one food package to another quickly. Due to its small size, it can easily penetrate packaging and infest multiple items in a pantry.
2. Merchant Grain Beetle
Merchant grain beetles have many similar characteristics to saw-toothed grain beetles. However, these beetles can fly unlike others. They prefer to infest processed food items. Their physical characteristics include a dark brown color and six saw-like projections on each side of their body. Merchant grain beetles have flat bodies, which helps them to enter through small openings in food packaging.
3. Foreign Grain Beetle
Foreign grain beetle is slightly smaller than others and measures approximately 2 mm in length. It has club-shaped antennae and tiny projections on the body. They are mistaken for other grain insects but can be distinguished because of their reddish-brown color. Their larvae are cream-colored and measure 3 mm in length before they develop into adults.
Natural DIY Methods for Grain Beetle Infestation
There are several natural methods to control and eliminate grain beetles without chemicals that might contaminate food.
1. Cleaning and Vacuuming
Cleaning the pantry shelves kitchen cabinets, and keeping food storage areas clean can prevent infestations. Vacuuming the corners, cracks, and crevices removes food and possible beetle eggs.
2. Sealing Food Properly
Packaging materials like paper and thin plastic can be penetrated by grain beetles. Store grains, flours, and similar products in airtight containers made of glass or metal to prevent invasion.
3. Freezing Infested Food
If you suspect infestations in the food, freeze it for four days or longer. This method will kill the beetles and larvae. This method works well when you have subtle foodstuffs like flour, rice, and other such items that are difficult to inspect.
4. Using Traps
Sticky traps or pheromone traps can be used to monitor and control grain beetles. Placing traps in areas suspected of infestation in the pantry will help monitor and gradually reduce the population.
Conclusion
Dealing with grain beetles may be a hassle, but you can control them easily with the right methods. Keeping your home clean, storing food in an airtight container, and applying natural repellents like bay leaves and essential oils will keep such pests away.
FAQs
Is there any way to find grain beetle infestation?
You can watch for signs of grain beetle infestation. A few major signs include finding damaged food packaging and small beetles in food containers.
Are grain beetles dangerous for humans?
No, they don’t pose any kind of danger. However, it may make food unsafe to consume by spoiling it and laying eggs in it.
How can I get rid of grain beetles quickly?
There are many methods to try. Some of them are freezing-infested food, sprinkling diatomaceous earth, and keeping pantry areas tidy.
Call Safe Pest Sol for Grain Beetles Infestation!
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