Stored product insect pests

It’s hard to say just how many pounds of adult insect, eggs, larvae and pupae the average American has eaten in a lifetime, but it is safe to say it has been more than we would like to believe.

Stored insect pests include many in the beetle family and moths.

Have you ever seen small moths flying or small beetles crawling in the kitchen or areas where food is stored? If so, you have probably encountered stored product pests.

Stored product pests are a challenge to control because many times the pests that emerge in the home are brought into the home by the homeowner in food products, dried flower arrangements, wreaths, pet foods, and even stuffed animals. Today’s article will focus on two of these stored pests, also called external feeders, mainly the cigarette beetle and the drugstore beetle.

The cigarette beetle and drugstore beetles share the same taste in food products. As expected, these beetles can be found in tobacco products, but their food source does not stop there. Cigarette and drugstore beetles also feed on pet foods, cereal products, dried peppers, spices, raisins, seeds, flour and even inside upholstered furniture.

A drugstore beetle can lay 75 eggs in her lifetime. A cigarette beetle can lay 30 to 40 eggs in a lifetime. Both species lay eggs on/in products. As larvae hatch out of the eggs, they feed on products eating from the outside to the inside until they spin into a cocoon. After a fairly short period of time, they emerge as adults and the process starts all over again.

Nothing can be much more aggravating than having bugs crawling across a kitchen floor. They are crawling toward a light source such as a window or permanent light source.

Here is the tip! First, find the source of the problem. Look inside packages containing suspect food products for insects or telltale signs of their presence like webbing or larvae. Remove the products if any are found to be contaminated or place the products in the freezer for three days at zero degrees Fahrenheit which will kill all stages of the insect’s life cycle.

Any dead insects can be consumed with the product as a bit of extra healthy protein. Vacuuming, cleaning and even the application of labeled pesticides may be used if done according to label directions. If the source is not found, stored product pests can prove to be an aggravation for weeks or months in your home.