There are many pests that can appear in your pantry, but saw-toothed grain beetles belong to a unique group of pests called stored-product pests. These insects don't usually come into your home from the outside. They are carried in. This is likely how you got them. You went to the store and purchased a product that had saw-toothed grain beetles, their eggs, or their larvae in it. Let's talk a little bit about those tiny, disgusting insects and what you can do about them.
Is it a saw-toothed grain beetle?
When you find a pantry pest, it isn't as important to know the specific pest you've found as it is when you find a house-invading pest. All stored-product pests live and breed inside their food source and the control methods used to arrest an infestation center on this attribute. Therefore, controlling a beetle, weevil or Indian meal moth infestation is the same. But if you're curious to know simply because you want to satisfy your curiosity, saw-toothed grain beetles are about 2mm in length, brown in color, and they have three distinct body parts: head, thorax and abdomen. Their two antennae are made of tiny orbs that can be seen if you examine the beetle with a magnifying glass. Looking closely at one of these beetles will also reveal the jagged edges of its thorax, which give the beetle its saw-toothed name. For more help with identifying pantry pests, take a look at, What are these pests in my pantry?
Do sawtoothed grain beetles bite?
When you find saw-toothed beetles in your food, it may cause you to wonder if they're all over your house and whether or not they're going to bite you. We touched on the first question. Saw-toothed beetles will stay in your pantry and they will be isolated to the food they infest. As for whether or not these tiny insects will bite you, we're happy to say that they cannot. When removing them from your food, you don't have to fear getting bitten.
Do grain beetles spread bacteria?
These insects don't get into dirty trash to feed on rotting organic material or climb around in your kitchen in search of things that are rotting. They infest dry goods in your pantry. This makes them a very low threat for the spread of bacteria.
How do you get rid of grain beetles?
It is extremely difficult to get rid of saw-toothed grain beetles because it can be nearly impossible to know if a product has been contaminated with these insects. You may be able to arrest an infestation by throwing away all of the stored goods in your pantry and doing a thorough cleaning, but even this can fail to eliminate the problem. The best solution is to have a licensed and experienced pest control professionals take care of this problem for you.
Saw-toothed Grain Beetle Prevention
If you do not have an infestation yet, there are some ways you can prevent an infestation of pantry pests.
- Put your pantry foods in sealed glass or hard plastic containers. Glass is preferable because you'll be able to clearly see through the side and detect insects if they are in there. If you get an infested product, your infestation will be contained.
- When purchasing products from the store, be sure to check for rips or tears in the packaging.
- Always check the due date on the products you purchase. Products that are past their due date can lure stored-product pests with their strong scent.
If you live in Bettendorf and you've discovered pantry pests in your pantry or kitchen, reach out to Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators for immediate assistance. We know what is required to help you rid your home of these pests.