Subject: is this a pantry beatle?
Location: NJ
September 24, 2012 8:56 pm
Hi,
About a year ago i found an infestation in my kitchen which i think came from a box of newly opened pasta.
I threw out most of the items on my counter along with all the bugs i found.
Every once in a while i would come accross a bug which i would then dispose of.
Recently i have noticed that my pantry (especially the places with chocolate has become infested. The only thing that truly seems to kill the buggers is crushing them with my finger or putting them in the freezer.
Based on other things i read on this website i believe that these may be pantry beatles. Can you tell if this is the case
Can you recemmond what might kill them? i have tried raid but have had limited success. Would bleach work?
Thanks
Signature: Ricki
Merchant Grain Beetles
Hi Ricki,
We believe these are Merchant Grain Beetles, Oryzaephilus mercator, and while they are often found in stored foods in the pantry, they are actually classified with the Bark Beetles. According to BugGuide: “Adults and larvae feed primarily on cereal products, particularly oatmeal, bran, shelled sunflower seeds, rolled oats, and brown rice(3); usually associated with oilseeds and less with cereal grains and in most regions damages processed cereals, especially those with high oil content; also feeds on seed-borne fungi.” The best control is keeping a close watch on stored foods and disposing of anything that appears to be infested.
Merchant Grain Beetles
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If you place bay leaves around in your pantry the grain beetles will flee and never come back. You can by bay leaves in bulk at certain food chains or Richards Whole foods carry them.
This was the only way I could get rid of the pesky things.
Thank you for the tip. We hope our readers will write back to let us know if it works for them.