Grain beetles are just one of the pantry pests that commonly invade Columbus pantries. Finding one of these beetles or even a whole cluster of them in your dry goods is a great reason to give a Columbus pest control professional a call. Pantry pests like grain beetles are extremely difficult to eradicate from your home, and it can cost a lot in lost groceries to have these pests contaminating your food.
Do Grain Beetles Get Their Name Because They Are Attracted To Grains?
Grain beetles do eat grain, but that's not all they are looking for in your cabinet. They will eat a number of products, including cereals, cornmeal, rice, dried fruit, flour, rolled oats, macaroni, sugar, dried meats, chocolate, and even pet food. If you're wondering how pantry pests get into food, it's simple. Grain beetles can chew into unopened paper or cardboard boxes and even cellophane or plastic. So if you want to know if sugar can contain pantry pests, it absolutely can – especially if you leave it in the original packaging instead of a sealed container.
Are There Different Types Of Grain Beetles?
Columbus has both sawtoothed grain beetles and merchant grain beetles. They are both pantry pests that will infiltrate and contaminate your dried goods. Merchant grain beetles can fly, but sawtoothed grain beetles cannot.
Both types of grain beetles lay their eggs in the food material they are eating. Sawtoothed grain beetle females lay an average of 300 eggs which hatch in around eight days, usually in April. Merchant grain beetles lay an average of 200 eggs in the course of about a month.
While the sawtoothed grain beetle prefers cereal-based foods, the merchant grain beetle prefers nuts, seeds, and dried fruit.
What Do Grain Beetles Look Like?
Both types of pantry pest beetles are flat reddish-brown and less than an eighth of an inch long. They both have jagged sawtooth-like projections on their thorax, and it can be difficult to tell the difference between a sawtoothed grain beetle and a merchant grain beetle. The sawtoothed grain beetle has slightly more exposed eyes, while the merchant grain beetle's eyes are more protected.
How Do I Get Rid Of The Grain Beetles In My House?
How to get rid of pantry pests can depend on how far the infestation has spread. If you catch them early, sometimes it can be enough to simply dispose of the food they have contaminated. However, when doing this, you'll want to ensure that you use heavy plastic bags or sealed containers for this disposal.
To determine if this type of pantry pest control is necessary, it's a good idea to use a flashlight to examine stored food on a periodic basis. You should also check food when you buy it to ensure you are not bringing these pests home with your groceries. It's a good idea to also check for expiration dates and broken or damaged packages.
While it may seem like a good idea to stock up on pantry items, there are some tips you should keep in mind when storing food, including:
- Sometimes it can be better to buy seldom-used foods in smaller quantities.
- Store susceptible food in glass, heavy plastic, or metal containers with tight-fitting lids.
- Use older products before newer ones, and don't mix old and new packages together.
- Keep storage spaces clean.
For help preventing and controlling grain beetles and other pantry pests, give the professionals at 1st Response Pest Management a call. We can help you eliminate existing infestations and prevent new ones from occurring. Call today to find out more bout our residential and commercial pest control services in Columbus.