Indianmeal Moths

Sawtoothed Grain Beetles

Sawtoothed Grain Beetles, as well as (cousin) merchant grain beetles, are tiny reddish-brown beetles about ⅛ long or less.  They're slender and flat with six teeth-like projections on each side of their thorax. These beetles attack almost any dry food (in opened or unopened boxes or containers).  They're most often found in cereal products such as flour, cake mix, cornmeal and macaroni products, as well as other items such as bread, dried fruits, nuts, chocolate and dry pet food. 

Tip:  Best to buy small packages of infequently used dry products or store packages in the freezer.

Flour Beetles are small, reddish-brown insects about ⅛ long.  The Confused flour beetle is most common and abundant.  Red flour beetles look very similar.  These pests commonly infest flour mills, warehouses and grocery stores, as well as homes.  They feed on flour, cake mix, cornmeal, crackers, dry pet food and other foods such as dried fruits, nuts and seeds (such as bird seed).

Tip:  Check both opened and unopened boxes or containers of potentially infested products. Vacuum out cracks & crevices, then dispose of the vacuum cleaner bag to help prevent reinfestation.

Foreign Grain Beetles (center pic) are often mistaken for flour beetles (left). They're attracted to lights and become a nuisance in late summer and fall as they get in through screens or cracks around windows & doors, etc. These tiny reddish-brown beetles feed on mold and fungi, rather than on grain as their name implies. Foreign grain beetles are most often found in rural areas.

Tip:  Foreign grain beetles aren't interested in stored food products (unless it has become moldy).

Other stored product or "pantry pests" include rice weevils, mealworms, almond moths, black carpet beetles and various other species of beetles & weevils that can become a problem at times. Wil-Kil offers free phone consultation for homeowners that encounter pantry pest problems. We also offer free on-site surveys for commercial & instituational facilities to evaluate service needs.