Grain Weevil

How to tell if you have Grain weevils 

• Look in nearby food products
• Use a magnifying glass and flashlight to help with inspection
• Foods that have been contaminated will not only contain the weevils themselves, but also may be covered in white, dusty excreta from the weevils.
• Additional signs of weevil presence include exit holes in grains, as well as holes that the weevils have chewed in boxes and bags containing foods.
• Grain weevils are hearty eaters, and if not checked will destroy foods and harm crops.

The species will infest cereals and a wide range of foodstuffs. Retail premises and warehouses can suffer infestations and the beetles will frequently appear in packaged food. Infestations arise from the presence of insects in the fabric of grain stores (including sacks) , in grain being transferred from one establishment to another and in vehicles used for transportation. Relatively small numbers of insects can rapidly give rise to serious infestations. They are small, active insects which readily exploit cracks and crevices where they can hide.

Upon identifying an infestation,  DO NOT tidy up any evidence just Contact Us and we will help/advise with the next step in preparing an eradication program.

The program will consist of:-

• We would start with a thorough inspection of all known and suspected spots where they might be hiding.
• Customer to try get a sample us to identify.
• We only carry out a treatment when a confirmed infestation is present as this is the correct thing to do for many reasons, but the main one is cost savings. There is no point in paying to try and kill something that is not even present.
• Identifying the insect species causing the problem.
• We will ask you to start by removing all infested products, cleaning and vacuuming all areas to pick up any loose debris/insects
• Education explaining the life cycle and how their habits, habitat and behavior affects the control plan.
• Treating affected areas by using safe an effective control products.
• Scheduling a follow-up visit if required.

Prevention 

Stores should be soundly constructed to ensure maintenance of correct storage conditions and allow for easy cleaning. They should be insulated, well-ventilated and damp-proof. Cracks and crevices, which may provide harbourages for the insects, should be kept to a minimum. Commodities should be stacked neatly above the floor level using pallets, away from walls and should not touch the ceiling. A gap between stacks will allow for ventilation, regular inspection, cleaning and, if necessary, treatment with insecticides. Appropriate stock rotation is important and if possible there should be a one-way passage of commodities through the premises. It is important to ensure that there are no food residues in which beetles can breed and survive to infest new materials. Infested commodities should be destroyed

All Stored product pests cause tremendous damage and economic losses to stored grains and seeds, packaged food products, and animal and plant-derived items and products. Besides causing direct damage by feeding.

As there is no easy way to tell if any product you have purchased is infested when you bring it home. It is advisable to buy some air-tight ‘Tupperware’ type of containers, and transfer all your stored products into these as soon as possible after purchase, so that if a product is infested, the insects will not spread to other foods. Food stored in this type of container will be protected from infestation.