GRANARY WEEVIL INFORMATION & FACTS

The granary weevil, commonly known as the grain weevil or wheat weevil, is a type of beetle typically reddish brown in colour and can grow to be 5 mm in length. To the untrained eye, granary weevils may look similar to another well-known pantry weevil, the rice weevil. The biggest difference between the two is granary weevils are incapable of flying.

This weevil beetle is particularly destructive to agriculture. Unable to fly, they are commonly found where grain is stored, which is where the name grain weevil comes from. When threatened, the defense mechanism of the granary weevil is to play dead.

They are pest of oats, rye, barley, rice, corn and of course, wheat. Wheat weevils in the pantry can appear in just about any type of packaged food that contains grain including cookies, crackers, cake mixes, pastas, popcorn and cereals.

Any infested foods should be discarded immediately and the contaminated food stored in the garbage outside.

Female granary weevils lay around 150 weevil eggs in their lifetime. Females drill holes in grain kernels with their mandibles in order to deposit weevil eggs. Weevil larvae feed on the inside of the grain kernels. Under warm conditions it can take about 4-6 weeks for weevil larvae to reach maturity. This timeline increases to as much as 21 weeks in the winter.

Cleanliness and proper storage are the best protections against a granary weevil infestation.

• Ensure all grains are thoroughly inspected before being brought into the house.
• Grains should be stored in tightly sealed glass, metal or plastic containers – do not use bags as granary weevils can chew through paper and plastic.
• Purchase grains in smaller quantities so they are consumed within a reasonable amount of time.
• Regularly vacuum pantry shelves, cracks and corners.

For weevil extermination, contact a granary weevil pest control expert. Environmental Pest Control’s technicians will correctly identify the weevil species before getting rid of your weevil infestation