Identifying Stored Product Pests

One of the most significant pest control issues that food retailers, cafes and restaurants face is stored product pests. These are pests that are often found in stored products, usually food products, though some non-food products can also attract pests. It is important to avoid these stored-product pests to keep your workplace pest-free.

Just to Name a Few Stored Product Pests

One of the most common stored product pests is the rice weevil. It is the biggest threat to stored grain and very hard to eradicate since rice weevils quickly multiply, fly, and live anywhere in a grain mass. Granary weevils are similar to rice weevils but are slightly less problematic since they cannot fly.

The angoumois grain moth is very destructive and multiplies rapidly in warm climates. Their larvae develop completely inside corn (such as corn or wheat kernels). This moth does not produce webbing over the grain and storage structures, but the tropical warehouse moth does and is known for compromising cereals and grain products. Another moth that commonly attacks stored products is the Indian meal moth.

The confused flour beetle is a pest that specifically attacks damaged grains and kernels. However, even with this limited role, it can be very destructive, as it works on grains that pests have already damaged like the Angoumois grain moth, which grows inside of these kernels and grains. It is often confused with the rust red flour beetle, which has similar breeding and feeding habits as well as indistinguishable larval stages.

The lesser grain borer is another strong flier that multiples rapidly in grains in warm temperatures. The flat grain beetle and sawtooth grain beetle have short lifecycles, going from egg to adult in five weeks or less if conditions are right. While the name tobacco beetle suggests a pest that attacks tobacco, it eats many different types of grains.

Flick has solutions for all pests!

As you can see, many different pests target stored grains, and secondary pests like mites and mealworms only add to the problem. If you suspect stored product pests, we suggest not wasting your time trying to identify them. Instead, contact us at Flick.

We are familiar with the whole range of stored product pests. We take a multi-faceted approach to pest control. We look at the risks pests pose to your business, as well as any impact that pest control measures could have on your stored products. We then tailor a solution specific to your business, using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles.