Weevils are a type of beetle that are found all over the world. While they are not harmful or toxic to humans, they can certainly take a tole on your grocery supply. Most of them can chew straight through paper to get to the grains and cereals found in your pantry. An infestation can be extensive and can involve your whole home. Following are some things you should know about weevils and how to eradicate them.
Biology and Life Span of Weevils:
Weevils are a small, flying pest that tend to be about 1/6 to 1/8 of an inch in length. They have six legs and can be black or brown. They have raised spots all over the surface of their body and a large indention between there head and torso. Adult females have very-strong mandibles enabling them to bore tiny holes in the grain, this is where she lays her eggs. She then secrets a gelatinous like seal to the grain to protect her brood until they hatch. These eggs will hatch out weevil larva in just a few days. After hatching, they will start feeding on that food source they nested in and will continue feeding for up to 3 weeks. At that time, the larva will spin a cocoon in which they will pupate to an adult. This pupation process takes about a week, at which time adult weevils will emerge from the cocoon. Adult females will begin laying their eggs within 3 days of their emergence from their cocoon. They will lay 300-600 eggs during a life span, which is generally 3-6 months long. This is not a biological process you want happening in your kitchen cabinets.
What They Feed on:
Weevils love to feed on the dry goods in your kitchen pantry. You may find evidence of them in your seeds, nuts, and dry beans. They may also turn up in your pasta, cereal, and other dry grains. But they do not stop there. The adults love to feed on fruits, such as apples pears and grapes. They have been known to infest dry decorative flower arrangements and wreaths, as well as cotton fabrics, including your clothing and cloth furniture.
Weevil treatment and management:
Once you have noticed you have a weevil infestation there are some things you should do right away. You will need to empty out the grains that have been affected into air-tight bags and seal them for up to two weeks, and then they should go out with your garbage. This will cause any hatching weevils to die and keep them from overrunning your home or that of anyone else. Then your home will need to be treated professionally.
The team at Tactical Pest Services know how to effectively eliminate weevils from your home. The correct method of pest control will be applied to kill both the weevils and their eggs. We will also treat any cracks or openings around your home to prevent a future infestation. Please call us today at 214-216-6407 to schedule your free estimate.