Pantry Pest
A Brief Overview of Pantry Pests
Pantry pests are small but persistent insects that invade stored dry goods, contaminating food and causing frustration for homeowners. These pests often enter homes undetected, hitching a ride in infested packaging from grocery stores or slipping through cracks, open doors, and windows. Once inside, they quickly multiply, spreading throughout pantries and cupboards. Early identification and prompt removal are essential to prevent a widespread infestation and protect your food supply.
Confused Flour Beetle (Tribolium confusum)
What Do Confused Flour Beetles Look Like?
The confused flour beetle is a small, reddish-brown insect, typically 3-6 mm long. Its flat, elongated body allows it to move through stored grains and packaged goods. It is often confused with the red flour beetle, but unlike its counterpart, it cannot fly.
Where Am I Likely to See Confused Flour Beetles?
These beetles are commonly found in flour, grains, and other pantry staples. They can infest unopened food packaging by squeezing through tiny openings or cracks in plastic, paper, or cardboard containers. You may notice them crawling inside food storage areas.
What Do Confused Flour Beetles Eat?
Confused flour beetles feed on stored grain products, including flour, cereal, crackers, and other processed grains. They are scavengers, meaning they can survive on small food particles left behind in pantries or packaging. While they do not bite or carry diseases, their presence can lead to food spoilage and contamination.
Red Flour Beetle (Tribolium castaneum)
What Do Red Flour Beetles Look Like?
The red flour beetle closely resembles the confused flour beetle, sharing the same reddish-brown color and similar size. However, one distinguishing feature is its ability to fly. It also has segmented antennae with a three-clubbed tip, which sets it apart from its lookalike.
Where Am I Likely to See Red Flour Beetles?
Red flour beetles are often found in stored food products such as flour, cereal, and grains. They can infest food storage areas, warehouses, and grocery stores, making their way into homes through packaged goods. Unlike confused flour beetles, they are strong fliers and may be seen flying around the kitchen or pantry.
What Do Red Flour Beetles Eat?
These pests consume various dry-stored foods, including flour, grains, cereals, pasta, beans, and crackers.
Saw-toothed Grain Beetle (Oryzaephilus surinamensis)
What Do Saw-Toothed Grain Beetles Look Like?
Saw-toothed grain beetles are small, slender insects measuring about 2-3 mm long. They are brownish and distinctive due to the saw-like projections along each side of their thorax.
Where Am I Likely to See Saw-Toothed Grain Beetles?
These beetles prefer stored grain products but can also be found in various dried food items, including cereal, nuts, pasta, and pet food. They are highly adaptable and can survive in different food storage environments, including warehouses, grocery stores, and home pantries.
What Do Saw-Toothed Grain Beetles Eat?
The saw-toothed grain beetle's diet consists of various dried foods, including cereals, dried fruits, seeds, and processed grains. Unlike some pantry pests, they do not fly, so their infestations are usually confined to specific areas within a home or food storage facility.
Drugstore Beetle (Stegobium paniceum)
What Do Drugstore Beetles Look Like?
Drugstore beetles are small, oval-shaped beetles, typically 2-3 mm long. They are brown and have fine lines running along their wing covers. Their compact size allows them to burrow into food packaging and infest stored goods.
Where Am I Likely to See Drugstore Beetles?
These beetles infest stored foods, including dried fruits, spices, and cereal. However, they also consume non-food items like leather, wool, books, and pharmaceuticals, making them more versatile than other pantry pests.
What Do Drugstore Beetles Eat?
Drugstore beetles consume stored grains, processed food, spices, dried fruits, and prescription medications. Their presence in stored food can lead to significant waste, as they contaminate products with their larvae and fecal matter.
Cigarette Beetle (Lasioderma serricorne)
What Do Cigarette Beetles Look Like?
Cigarette beetles resemble drugstore beetles but are slightly smaller and more rounded. They are light brown, have a humped appearance, and have saw-like antennae.
Where Am I Likely to See Cigarette Beetles?
As their name suggests, cigarette beetles are commonly found in tobacco products, but they also infest dried food goods, including spices, grains, and rice. They are often spotted in pantries, food storage warehouses, and grocery stores.
What Do Cigarette Beetles Eat?
The cigarette beetle’s diet is highly varied and includes cereal, flour, beans, rice, spices, nuts, cigars, cigarettes, medicinal herbs, and even drugs and medicines. Their ability to feed on non-food materials makes them a troublesome pantry pest.
