| Appearance |
 Brown,
very flat, narrow
oval shape; 1/10-inch. |
| Habitat |
|
Saw-toothed grain beetles like to
attack packages of
cereal, flour, rice, oats, pet foods, chocolate, pasta and the like.
They are
found in pantries or in food processing areas, warehouses and grocery
stores.
They crawl into packaging to eat, live and reproduce. Large populations
can
develop in short periods, forcing adults to leave infested foods
seeking new
food sources. Infestations can quickly spread to every nearby packaged
food.
The saw-toothed grain beetle cannot fly, but the closely-related
merchant grain
beetle can. |
| Diet |
| Cereals, cake mixes, macaroni, cookies and chocolate, among other processed
or packaged foods. |
| Control |
|
Discard all infested
packages. Clean spilled grain and
infested cabinet areas using a vacuum followed by soapy water. Store
all dried
food goods in a glass or plastic container with a tight lid to limit
spreading
if one food becomes infested. Consider storing cereals and similar
foods in the
refrigerator to limit stored pantry pest problems. |
|
