Western Exterminators - Pest Control Services California, Arizona, Nevada

Stored Product Pests: Confused Flour Beetle | Drugstore Beetle | Indian Meal Moth | Rice Weevil | Saw-toothed Grain Beetle

	Common name:	Latin name:	Class:	Order:	Family:
	Confused Flour Beetle	Tribolium confusum (duVal)	Insecta	Coleoptera	Tenebrionidae

	Size:
	Adult is 1/8 inch (3-4 mm) long; full-grown larva is 1/8-1/4 inch (4-5 mm) long.
	Characteristics:
	Adult is gradually enlarged toward the tip, ending in "club" of 4 segments. Sides of prothorax are almost straight but curved in Red Flour Beetle. Adult has wings, but is not known to fly. Full-grown larvae have hard, cylindrical bodies, and are somewhat wiry looking.
	Color:
	Adult is reddish brown. Larva is brownish-white or yellowish-white, the end of the non-movable last body segment being dark.
	Where Found:
	Originating in Africa, are now found around the world in cool climates. In the U.S. they are more common in the northern states.
	Comparison:
	Almost identical to Red Flour Beetle, which has a more curved thorax and abruptly clubbed antennae with 3-segmented clubs. Broadhorned and Slenderhorned Flour Beetles do not have clubbed antennae, and male mandibles have a pair of incurved horns. Black and False Black Flour Beetles are black. Longheaded Flour Beetles are pale yellow-brown. The Lesser Mealworm has an almost completely divided eye. Yellow and Dark Mealworms are black, and larger, about 1/2-3/4 in (12-20 mm) long.
	Habitat:
	Life cycles occur in and around their food sources.
	Food:
	Damaged grains and grain products, peas and beans, shelled nuts, dried fruit chocolate, spices (such as cayenne), snuff tobacco, drugs, plant and museum specimens, and even poison rodent bait.
	Biology:
	Females deposit 300-500 clear-white sticky eggs, 2-3 per day, in food materials in bags, or through the mesh of sacks containing food. Eggs hatch in 5-12 days, the complete life cycle taking 7 weeks to 3 months or more, depending on temperature. 4-5 generations per year in heated storage facilities and processing plants.
	Damage:
	Nuisance pest gives a bad odor and taste to the food it infests in homes and grocery stores.
	Invasion:
	We're more confused than they are, so keep an eye on the flour.
	Control:
	When controlling stored product pests, the following six-step process should be implemented: 1) Prevention- Inspect incoming products. Reduce entry points that insects may be using to enter the structure. 2) Good Sanitation- Eliminate spilled or damaged products. Completely empty storage areas and check all products carefully for signs of infestation. Vacuum up any spilled products, especially in cracks and crevices where spilled products can accumulate. 3) Proper Storage- Store products in entry-proof containers. Eliminate cardboard containers or paper containers that are easier to penetrate by larva or adult stages of insects. 4) Stock Rotation- Do not forget old products in the back of storage areas. Old products are subject to attack because of sitting undisturbed, possibly damaged. 5) Ventilation- Reduction of moisture content in stored products is important. Many stored product pests require high humidity conditions to survive. 6) Control- Treatment of prepared pantry storage areas is required due to the habits of some stored product pests that pupate away from the infested products. Summary- Finding and eliminating the source is the best way to achieve long-term control. When using any pesticide, be sure it is registered for the target pest/location. Read the entire label prior to use. Follow all label directions, restrictions, and precautions.