“How did this bug get into my spaghetti!?” This is a common cry for residents of Greenville, just when they are about to sit down to feast on their spaghetti. Instead of a nice, quiet dinner with the family, weevils somehow find a way to ruin it.
Weevils are the one insect whose name alone can cause shivers down one’s spine. Upon close look, weevils have this ugly snout and big round eyes. They are nuisance pests because this world seems to not have enough pests to go around with.
Weevils are also known as flour bugs because they are mostly found in flour. There are many types of weevils, all with different ways to bug us (pun intended). There are flour weevils, grain weevils, rice weevils, boll weevils, and many more.
Weevils are not known to transmit diseases if that is any comfort. Still, they are such a nuisance that you would not want them in your house. Our lives will be better without them, that is for sure.
In this article, we will talk about weevils, and how to get rid of them. Let us get started.
Weevils In Our Food, How Did It Happen?
As with all pantry pests, most weevil species will feed on dry stored food like flour, seeds, nuts, pasta, sugar, beans, cereals, grains, and rice. But unlike all the other pantry pests that simply feed on these foods, weevils live in and eat the food. Female weevils bore holes on the grains and deposit eggs inside. The weevils seal the grains and leave the eggs inside until they hatch. When these eggs hatch, the baby weevils will eat the grain from the inside until they become adults. Male weevils will be waiting for female weevils once they eat their way out of the grain, and they will mate. Weevils can lie up to 8 months. Residents usually get weevils from the dry food packs that they bought from the grocery stores.
Types Of Weevils
There are many types of weevils. Let us identify each one.
- Flour weevil - This is not really a true weevil. Flour weevils are also known as the red flour beetle. They are named as such because they can be found in places where they are near flour. Flour weevils can grow up to 3 mm to 4 mm. They are metallic in appearance due to the tint of its outer covering. They are ovoid in shape. Flour weevils have two pairs of wings. Aside from flour, they also feed on nuts, cereals, and dried fruit. They can be found in homes, groceries, and mills that manufacture dry foods. Another thing that they can do is that they aid in developing molds. When they die, their bodies produce a foul smell that effectively damages the dry foods.
- Bean weevil - They are not true weevils though. They also do not have snouts, a basic feature of a weevil. Their bodies are compact and oval in shape. They are very hairy and they come in black, brown, or pale olive colors. Bean weevils can grow to about 1 mm to 2 mm. They can eat anything. Adult bean weevils lay their eggs on seeds, which the larvae chew ongoing into these seeds. If you find empty bean covers, it is a sign that you may have bean weevils.
- Rice weevil - Rice weevils are tiny insects that feed on rice, flour, and other grains. Rice weevils are about 2 to 3 mm in length. They come in different colors and they can be reddish brown or black. Rice weevils use their snouts to bore holes not only on rice but also on cereals or grains. You can kill them by pouring hot water on rice if you see weevils on it. After that, you will see dead weevils floating making it easier to pick them out. Do this when you are about to cook the rice. Do not worry, your rice will still be safe to eat.
- Wheat weevil - Wheat weevils are also known as grain weevils. They are three to five mm in length, equipped with chewing mouthparts, and a long snout. They have immature wings, but they cannot fly. Wheat weevils can only feed on stored foods and cannot go out to the fields to feed on plants. Adult female weevils reproduce quickly; they can have as many as 6,000 offspring in a year.
- Boll weevil - These are weevils that are usually 6 mm in length. They have long snouts and are gray in color. Boll weevil eat buds and little cotton ball plants to survive. They are named as such because they like to lay their eggs in the boll of the cotton plant. But because of this, they cause huge damage to cotton crops. Boll weevils came to America from Mexico in the 19th century and immediately attacked all cotton-growing areas in the early 20th century. Boll weevils can feed only on cotton plants and not much else. If you are not growing cotton, then you have nothing to worry about regarding boll weevils.
- Cowpea weevil - Cowpea weevils are small, only about ⅛ inch small. They are reddish brown with gray marks. They look like weevils, but they are not. Unlike wheat weevils, they have short snouts and feed largely on cowpeas. They have chewing mouth parts which they use to eat cowpeas, beans, and peas. They also lay their eggs there. You would know if you have cowpea weevils if you see round holes on your peas.
- Rose weevils - Rose weevils grow about 5 mm to 6 mm in length. They come in red and black in color. Rose weevils use their pointed snouts to drill holes. They are called as such because they eat flowers, usually roses. Both the adult rose weevils and their larvae feed on flower petals.
- Black vine weevil - The black vine weevils feed on ornamental plants. Black vine weevils can grow to about 12 mm in length and have ovoid bodies. They have short snouts with antennae attached to their heads. Black vine weevils are active at night and they do not fly. They rest during the day.
- White Pine weevil - White pine weevils are small, they are only about 6 to 7 mm long. They have white and brown colored scales. They eat spruce and pine trees.
Managing Weevil Population
Weevils are such a nuisance that it would be very difficult to coexist with them. They may not transmit diseases, but they can damage your stored food. Getting rid of them should be a priority. Here are a few tips and tricks on how to control weevils.
- Seal off all cracks and openings in your house by caulking. It is always possible that weevils will be coming from the outside since they are known to stray far away from their food source. They can use these cracks and openings as entry points.
- Place dry foods like cereals, sugar, grains, rice, pasta, flour, and dried fruits in a sealed plastic or metal container. Weevils can bore holes in cardboard containers.
- Use a piece of cloth as a trap. Pour water on it so it would be damp enough to catch weevils. Put the damp cloth in places where you find plenty of weevils in your house. Weevils will be attracted to it, and once you find enough weevils on the cloth, wash them away with water. Do it again until you are no longer catching any of them.
- Put your stored food with weevil inside a zip lock and put it in a freezer. Let it stay there for at least a week. This will surely kill the weevils and their eggs.
- Do not buy dry food products more than you need. Storing too much of these items would attract more weevils in your house.
- Inspect the dry packaged foods at the grocery store before buying. This will help you avoid bringing them home.
If you have these unwanted pests in your kitchen or pantry and are overwhelmed by it, be sure to contact the best pest control management in Greenville, Go-Forth Home Services.
Why Go-Forth Home Services?
We homeowners are not experts in fighting pests, let us admit it, so we will need the assistance of pest control professionals around us. Go-Forth Home Services has the experience and technical know-how to help you get rid not only of weevils, but of other pests like mosquitoes, roaches, rats, mice, flies, bed bugs, poisonous spiders, and more.
We have experienced technicians who are highly-skilled and well-trained in their line of work. We have licensed experts who use the necessary methods that are family-friendly and pet-friendly. Your safety is important to us as much as killing those pests that bother you. We will give you our best efforts and services to ensure the safety and security of your family. Go-Forth Home Services will identify points of entry and make treatments as necessary.
We are the best-reviewed pest control company on social media. For more information, call us now.