Rice Weevils in Central Arkansas
The rice weevil is found worldwide and poses a significant threat to stored grains, residing, feeding, and reproducing within food items. It is more common in the southern United States, where adult weevils and their larvae consume whole grains. Often called flour bugs, these beetles, characterized by their elongated snouts, infest and consume a variety of food items, including rice, flour, nuts, beans, seeds, cereals, and macaroni. Capable of flight, adults are attracted to light. Larval development of the rice weevil occurs inside seed kernels or similar products such as macaroni.
Rice Weevil Habitat
Rice weevils may be encountered in households, where they infest various food items such as rice, beans, birdseed, sunflower seeds, dried corn, macaroni, and spaghetti. They are also commonly found in grain storage facilities, food processing plants, and whole-food markets. The adult weevils have a lifespan of 7 to 8 months, and the egg, larva, and pupa stages occur within the grain kernels, rarely visible to the naked eye. Females lay between 300 and 400 eggs inside a single seed or grain kernel. Larvae primarily consume the interior of the grain kernels, leaving them hollow, while the adults create holes in the kernels’ sides, and emerging adults further contribute to this damage.
Rice Weevil Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers
While rice weevils are harmless to humans and pets, they pose a significant threat to grains and seeds. Large infestations of these pests can lead to the destruction of stored food. Rice weevils have a diverse diet, consuming nearly every grain-based food processed for human consumption. Their small size allows them to hide in the smallest of cracks and crevices, enabling them to infiltrate packaging with ease. Consequently, they are a common household pest. Since rice weevils typically feed inside food containers, they can go unnoticed in pantries for extended periods. Homeowners frequently encounter adult weevils crawling on pantry shelves and floors.
If an infestation is present in your Central Arkansas home, locate and discard all infested material. Contact your local pantry pest control experts for help with rice weevils!
