Pantry Pests
Saw-Toothed Grain Beetle
| Appearance |
|---|
 Brown, very flat, narrow oval shape; 1/10-inch. |
| Habitat |
| Saw-toothed grain beetles like to attack packages of cereal, flour, rice, oats, pet food, chocolate, pasta, and similar products. They are commonly found in pantries, food processing areas, warehouses, and grocery stores. These beetles crawl into packaging to eat, live, and reproduce. Large populations can develop quickly, causing adults to leave infested foods in search of new food sources. Infestations can rapidly spread to nearby packaged foods. While the saw-toothed grain beetle can’t fly, its closely related counterpart, the merchant grain beetle, can. |
| Diet |
| Saw-toothed grain beetles feed on cereal, cake mixes, macaroni, cookies, chocolate, and other processed or packaged foods. |
| Control |
| Discard all infested packages. Clean spilled grain and infested cabinet areas using a vacuum followed by soapy water. Store all dried and prepackaged food in glass or plastic containers with tight-fitting lids to limit spreading if one food becomes infested. |
