How to identify and get rid of red flour beetles

Most people don’t like surprises in the morning, especially if they find little beetles swimming in their cereal bowl. Those little beetles could very well be red flour beetles lurking in your favorite cereal, snacks, or flour bag.

Red flour beetles love eating stored grain products and can often hitchhike inside the package of food already in your pantry. These can include crackers, chocolate, nuts, pasta, cake mix, or dried pet food. The red flour beetle and its close cousin, the confused flour beetle, look practically the same and act identically, too.

While the beetles are bigger pests in stored grain facilities or processing plants, they can also enter grocery stores and your pantry. The larvae can’t feed on whole grains but must have access to cracked or processed grains. Sometimes, they come along after another pest has infested stored products and made a mess already.

Their shed skins, feces, and foul smells damage the food they infest. Additionally, the presence of these beetles can encourage mold growth.

Red flour beetles are tiny beetles that are hard to spot at times in flour or cereals. They're about the size of a grain of rice but can cause a big headache if they get into your food.

The adults are a reddish-brown color, and they have a long, oval body shape. The wing covers (known as elytra) have tiny punctures that dot the entire back of the beetle. Additionally, if you have access to magnification, the beetles will have small antennae that end in an enlarged club.

If you notice a musty odor or your flour has a strange, clumpy texture, it might be a sign that these beetles are present. Another giveaway is finding these small beetles themselves in your pantry goods or around storage areas.

How big are red flour beetles?

Red flour beetles are only 1/8 inch long.

What other pest looks like a red flour beetle?

They can be mistaken for confused flour beetles, which look very similar but have slightly different antennae. Another common look-alike is the sawtoothed grain beetle, which has saw-like projections on either side of its thorax.

Red flour beetles are found all over the United States, thriving in warm environments but can survive in a variety of climates thanks to cozy, heated homes. They can be found in stored food similar to rice weevils.

Once flour beetles are in your pantry, there are a few ways to get rid of them. The best thing to do is sanitation.

• Keep your pantry clean – Red flour beetles thrive on crumbs, spills, and messes. Vacuum your pantry to clean up even the smallest grains.
• Remove any infested food – Get rid of any food that has beetles in it. There’s a good chance there are still unseen eggs or larvae in the food.
• Store food in insect-proof containers – Store your flour and grains in air-tight containers that insects can’t chew through.
• Freeze suspicious food – If you suspect that other foods might be contaminated in your pantry, you can freeze it for four days to kill any eggs, larvae, or beetles.

To keep your home from being reinfested with red flour beetles, inspect cereals, flours, and processed grains when you buy them, and consider spraying a perimeter spray around and in your home to prevent red flour beetles from making their way to your pantry. Pestie offers a pro-grade DIY plan that can be customized to your location.